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THE    LIVERPOOL    PRIVATEERS 


AND 


THE     LIVERPOOL     SLAVE      TRADE 


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'HISTORY 


OF  THE 


LIVERPOOL     PRIVATEERS 


AND 


LETTERS    OF    MARQUE 


WITH    AN    ACCOUNT    OF   THE 


LIVERPOOL    SLAVE     TRADE 


BY 

GOM  ER     WI  LLI  AMS 


WITH  ILL  USTRA  TIONS  Q 


LONDON 
WILLIAM    HEINEMANN 

LIVERPOOL 
EDWARD  HOWELL  CHURCH  STREET 

1897 


Dfl 


AFFECTIONATELY     INSCRIBED 
TO 

HALL     CAINE 

BY    HIS    FRIEND,    THE    AUTHOR. 


PREFA  CE. 

IN  tracing  the  history  of  Liverpool  privateering  and 
slave  trading — upon  which  the  greatness  of  "the 
good  old  town "  was  suckled — the  author  has  had 
access  to  original  sources  of  information  never  before 
tapped,  and  gratefully  acknowledges  his  indebtedness 
to  Sir  Thomas  Brocklebank,  Bart.,  the  Messrs. 
Maclver,  Mr.  C.  K.  Lace,  Mr.  Thomas  Hampson 
(Ruabon),  and  Mr.  T.  H.  Dixon  (Gresford),  for 
permission  to  inspect  and  copy  rare  documents 
in  their  possession,  which  greatly  enhance  the  value 
of  the  book,  and  to  his  friend,  Mr.  J.  S.  Arthur,  for 
his  good  offices  in  this  direction.  The  other  and 
principal  sources  drawn  upon  are  the  files  of  old 
newspapers,  magazines,  and  other  contemporary 
records  requiring  no  little  patience  and  enthusiasm 
to  ransack.  In  a  few  instances,  where  informa- 
tion on  special  points  has  been  derived  from  other 
authors,  as  in  Professor  Laughton's  admirable- 
account  of  Captain  Fortunatus  Wright,  it  is  acknow-l 
ledged  either  in  the  text  or  in  a  foot-note.  To  quote 
the  prospectus,  "this  work  is  not  a  mere  compilation, 
but  the  fruit  of  laborious  and  exhaustive  original  re- 
search." The  utmost  pains  have  been  taken  to  ensure 
accuracy,  and  the  reader  will  find  the  statements  of 
more  than  one  authority  corrected.  To  this  cause,  and 
the  sifting  of  much  curious  original  matter  so  kindly 


x.  PREFACE. 

placed  at  the  author's  disposal,  is  to  be  attributed  the 
delay  in  publication,  by  which  the  reader,  and  es- 
pecially the  original  subscribers,  gain  considerably,  the 
promised  600  pages  being  largely  extended,  with  illus- 
trations thrown  in. 

In  dealing  with  the  delicate  subject  of  the  Liverpool 
Slave  Trade — a  subject  which,  for  reasons  that  may 
be  guessed,  has  been  lightly  touched  upon  by  most 
local  writers — the  author  has  endeavoured  to  confine 
himself  to  a  plain  statement  of  facts — facts  which 
need  no  comment  or  exposition.  He  has  directed  his 
indignation  against  the  system,  or  national  sin, 
rather  than  against  individuals,  for  many  of  the  slave- 
merchants  and  slave-captains  of  old  Liverpool  claim 
our  regard  as  patriots  and  worthies  of  no  common 
order. 

Though  we  are  on  the  threshold  of  the  Twentieth 
Century,  with  its  tremendous  possibilities,  there  are 
indications  that  white  men  still  exist  who  would  gladly 
revert  to  the  iniquitous  system  of  a  bygone  age,  and 
enslave  the  African  in  his  own  land.  If  anything  in 
this  book  should  help  to  awaken  the  public  conscience 
to  jealously  watch  that  under  no  specious  pretext 
shall  the  bodies  and  souls  of  "  African  labourers"  be 
again  handed  over  to  the  tender  mercies  of  greedy 
and  unscrupulous  adventurers,  the  author  will  rejoice. 

LIVERPOOL, 

November,  1897. 


CONTENTS. 


DEDICATION      -  -  vn. 

PREFACE  ----------         ix. 


PART    I. —PRIVATEERING. 

CHAPTER     I. 

PAGE. 
A  PEEP  BEHIND  THE  SCENES  —  THE   ANCIENT   MARINER 

AND  THE  ANCIENT  MERCHANT  i 

CHAPTER     II. 

THE    STORY    OF    CAPTAIN    FORTUNATUS    WRIGHT    AND 

SELIM,  THE  ARMENIAN  CAPTIVE       -  32 

CHAPTER     III. 
PRIVATEERS  OF  THE  SEVEN  YEARS'  WAR  79 

CHAPTER  IV. 
PRIVATEERS  OF  THE  AMERICAN  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE  -         179 

CHAPTER  V. 

LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS  AND  LETTERS  OF  MARQUE 
SHIPS  DURING  THE  WARS  OF  THE  FRENCH 
REVOLUTION  -  303 

CHAPTER  VI. 

LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS  DURING  THE  SECOND  WAR  WITH 

AMERICA 430 


xii.  CONTENTS. 


PART  II. —THE  LIVERPOOL  SLAVE 
TRADE. 

CHAPTER  I". 

PAGE. 
THE  LIVERPOOL  SLAVE  TRADE,  HOW  IT  ORIGINATED  AND 

THRIVED-  465 

CHAPTER  II. 
CAPTAIN  JOHN  NEWTON    -  496 

CHAPTER  III. 
THE  MASSACRE  AT  OLD  CALABAR   -  529 

CHAPTER  IV. 
THE  ABOLITION  MOVEMENT      -  567 

CHAPTER  V. 
HORRORS  OF  THE  MIDDLE   PASSAGE  582 

CHAPTER  VI. 

EMOLUMENTS     OF     THE     TRAFFIC  -  -   A     MILLIONAIRE'S 

VENTURES   -  .  594 

CHAPTER  VII. 
THE  CORPORATION  AND  THE  SLAVE  TRADE      -  609 

CHAPTER  VIII. 
CAPTAIN  HUGH  CROW      -----  626 


CONTENTS.  xiii. 

APPENDIX  TO  PRIVATEERS. 


PAGE. 
No.   I. — List  of  Vessels  trading  to  and  from  Liverpool, 

captured  by  the  Spaniards  and  French,  in  the  War 

of  1739-1748   -  659 

No.   II. — The  Enterprise  Privateer,  Cost  of  Outfit,  List  of 

Owners,  Officers,  etc.      -  661 

No.  III.  —  List  of  Vessels  trading-  to  and  from  Liverpool, 
captured  by  the  Enemy  during  the  Seven  Years' 
War,  1756-1763  -  665 

No.  IV. — List  of  the  principal  Liverpool  Privateers  and 
Letters  of  Marque,  in  the  War  with  America, 
France,  Spain  and  Holland,  1775-1783  -  667 

No.  V. — Copy  of  the  Letter  of  Marque  against  the 
French,  granted  in  1796  to  Captain  John  Maciver, 
commander  of  the  Swallow,  private  ship  of  war,  of 
Liverpool  670 


APPENDIX  TO  SLAVE  TRADE. 


No.   VI.  —  List    of    the  Company   of    Merchants   trading 

to  Africa,  belonging  to  Liverpool,  in  the  year  1752  -         674 

No.  VII. — List  of  Guineamen  belonging  to  Liverpool, 
in  the  year  1752,  with  Owners'  and  Commanders' 
Names,  and  the  number  of  Slaves  carried  by  each  -  675 

No.  VIII. — The  number  of  Ships  which  cleared  out  from 
the  port  of  Liverpool,  to  the  coast  of  Africa,  from 
the  earliest  date  to  the  time  of  the  trade  being 
abolished  in  May,  1807  -  -  678 


xiv.  CONTENTS. 

PAGE. 
No.   IX. — List  of  Houses  that  annually  imported  upwards 

of  looo  Slaves,  the  Number  of  Ships  employed,  and 
Slaves  by  them  imported,  from  1783  to  1793,  showing 
the  proportion  they  held  to  all  the  slave-vessels  that 
annually  sailed  from  the  port  of  Liverpool  during-  that 
period  -  678 

No.   X.— List  of  the  Company  of  Merchants  trading  to 

Africa,  belonging  to  Liverpool,  in  the  year  1807      -         679 

No.  XI. — Comparative  Statement  of  Ships  cleared  out 
from  the  ports  of  London,  Liverpool,  and  Bristol, 
to  the  coast  of  Africa,  from  1795  to  1804  680 

No.   XII. — Paid  for  a  Negro  man  at  Bonny,  in  1801  680 

No.  XIII. — List  of  Guineamen  belonging  to  the  port  of 
Liverpool  which  sailed  for  Africa,  from  the  5th  of 
January,  1798,  to  the  5th  of  January,  1799,  with 
Owners'  and  Commanders'  Names  and  the  comple- 
ment of  Slaves  allowed  to  each  -  68 1 

No.  XIV. — Summary  of  the  aggregate  number  of  Liver- 
pool ships  employed  in  the  Guinea  trade,  together 
with  the  number  and  value  of  the  Slaves  imported 
to  the  West  Indies  from  1783  to  1793  -  685 

No.  XV. — Extract  from  "A  Log  of  the  proceedings  on 
board  the  Brigg  Mampookata,  on  a  voyage  to 
Ambrize,  on  the  coast  of  Angola,"  in  the  year  1787-  686 

No.   XVI. — Character  of  the  Seamen  in  the  Slave  Trade         688 
No.   XVII.— Food  of  the  Slaves       -----         689 


Index  to  Names  of  Persons  mentioned  in  this  Work    -         691 
Index  to  Subjects   -  -         700 


CONTENTS.  xv. 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Facsimile  from  the  original  Letter  of  Marque,  ( in  the  possession 
of  Sir  Thomas  Brocklebank,  Bart.,  Liverpool)  granted  in 
1779  to  Captain  Daniel  Brocklebank,  commander  of  the 
Castor,  private  ship  of  war  belonging  to  Whitehaven. 

FRONTISPIECE. 

Facsimile  of  an  original  sketch  by  Captain  William  Lace,  of  the 
Palace  and  Stockade  of  an  African  king,  who  dealt  in  slaves. 

Facsimile  of  list  of  Crew  of  a  Privateer,  from  the  original  MS.  in 
possession  of  Mr.  C.  K.  Lace. 

Facsimile  of  the  Private  Signal  Code  of  a  Slave-ship,  from  the 
original  MS.  in  possession  of  Mr  C.  K.  Lace. 


HISTORY 


OF   THE 


LIVERPOOL     PRIVATEERS 

AND 

LETTERS    OF    MARQUE,    &c. 


CHAPTER   I. 

A   PEEP  BEHIND  THE   SCENES — THE  ANCIENT  MARINER 
AND  THE   ANCIENT   MERCHANT. 

WE  assume,  for  the  sake  of  illustration,  that  the  reader 
wishes  to  become  practically  acquainted  with  the  method  of 
fitting  out,  arming,  manning,  and  manoeuvring  privateers 
and  letter-of-marque  ships  in  ancient  Liverpool.  We 
cannot  do  better  than  follow  the  advice  of  Captain  William 
Hutchinson,  an  experienced  privateer  commander,  origin- 
ally trained  in  that  finest  of  all  nurseries  for  seamen,  the 
Newcastle  colliers,  who  afterwards  became  dockmaster  at 
Liverpool.  "Safety  as  well  as  success,  in  my  opinion," 
he  says,  "depends  greatly  on  the  manner  these  ships  are 
fitted  out.  Trading  ships,  designed  more  for  defence  than 
offence,  I  would  recommend  to  be  made  to  look  as  big, 
powerful,  and  warlike  as  possible,  in  order  to  intimidate  ; 
but  privateers  the  contrary,  to  look  as  little  and  defenceless 
and  conceal  their  power  as  much  as  possible,  till  there  is  a 
A 


THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVA  TEERS. 

real  occasion  for  it,   and  then  as  suddenly  as   possible  to 
make  it  known  to  give  the  greater  surprise,  which  I  can 
say  from  experience  may  often  give  great  advantages.     As 
to  the  size  and   number  of  great  guns,    the   dimensions, 
strength,  and  properties  of  the  ship  should  point  out  what 
she  will  be  able  to  bear  without  being  too  crank  for  a  sailing 
and  fighting  ship  ;  and  though  it  must  be  allowed  that  the 
advantages    in    a   sea  fight  are   greatly    in    favour   of  the 
heaviest  shot,   yet  the  many  storms  a  ship  may  have  to 
contend  with  in  a  winter's  passage,  or  a  cruise  in  a  turbu- 
lent ocean,  where  the  great  guns  may  be  often  rendered  a 
useless  and  dangerous  incumbrance  by  the  waves  running 
so  high,  that  nothing  but  small  arms  can  be  used  against 
the  enemy,  so  a  ship  should  not  be  overcrowded  or  over- 
burdened with  too  heavy  cannon."     With  regard  to  shot, 
"the  first  and  principal,"  he  observes,  "  both  for  quantity 
and  quality,   is  the  round  iron  cannon  ball,  because  it  will 
go  and  penetrate  farther  and  with  greater  velocity  than  any 
other  to  do  execution  when  engaging  with  a  superior  force ; 
but  when  come  to  a  close  fight  with  a  ship  of  inferior  force, 
expecting  to  make  her  a  prize,  then  the  endeavours  should 
be  not  to  destroy  the  ship  if  it  can  possibly  be  avoided,  but 
to  distress  them  to  make  submission  ;  therefore,  some  suitable 
shot  that  will  answer  that  purpose  best  should  be  provided. 
And  I  would  recommend  round  tin  cases,  to  fit  the  bore  of 
the  guns,  filled  with  musket  ball  ;  and  square  bar  iron,  cut 
about  fourteen  inches  long,  tied  in  bundles  with  rope  yarns 
just  to  fit  the  guns;  or  cast  iron  bars  about  the  same  length, 
a  square  one  about  an  inch  diameter  in  the  middle  and  four 
others  quartering,  rounded  on  the  outside,  to  fit  the  bore  of 
the  guns,  when  tied  with  rope  yarns."    These  rude  missiles 
will  doubtless  make  the  naval  heroes  of  the  present  day 
laugh    scornfully,    but   the    persons    upon    whom    Captain 
Hutchinson  experimented  with  similar  preparations  appear 
to  have  been  perfectly  satisfied  with  their  efficacy. 


THE  ANCIENT  MARINER.  3 

The  following  is  a  Quarter  Bill  for  a  privateer  of  twenty 
guns,  9-pounders,  and  four  3-pounders  on  the  quarter-deck 
and  forecastle  : — 

ON   THE   QUARTER-DECK. 

The  Captain  to  command  the  whole  i 

The  Master  to  assist  and  work  the  ship  accord- 
ing to  orders  -  i 

A  Midshipman  to  pass  the  word  of  command 

fore  and  aft  i 

A  Quarter-master  at  the  gun  and  another  at  the 

helm  2 

The  First  Marine  Officer  with  24  musketeers    -       25 

Three  men  for  the  two  3-pounders  and  a  boy  to 

fetch  powder       -  4 

ON   THE   MAIN   DECK. 

The  First  Lieutenant  to  command  the  ten  fore- 
most guns  i 

The  Second   Lieutenant  to  command  the  ten 

aftermost  guns  i 

The  Gunner  to  assist  and  attend  all  the  great 

guns  fore  and  aft  i 

The  two  Master's  Mates  to  attend  the  fore-top- 
sail braces,  and  work  the  ship  forward, 
according  to  orders  -  2 

The  Boatswain's  Mate,  with  two  seamen,  to 
assist  in  working  the  ship  and  to  repair 
the  main  rigging  3 

The  Carpenter  and  his  crew  to  attend  the  pumps 
and  the  wings  about  the  water's  edge,  fore 
and  aft,  with  shot  plugs,  &c.  -  4 

Six  men  to  each  of  the  ten  guns  on  a  side  and 

its  opposite,  and  a  boy  to  fetch  powder       -       70 

ON   THE    FORECASTLE. 
The  Boatswain  to  command,  with  two  seamen 

to  work  the  ship  and  repair  the  fore  rigging         3 


THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

Three  men  and  a  boy  to  fetch  powder  for  the 

two  3-pounders  -  4 

The  Second  Marine  Officer  with  nine  musketeers       10 

In  the  barge  upon  the  booms,  the  Third  Marine 

Officer  with  eight  musketeers  -  9 

In  the  maintop,  five  men  with  a  Midshipman  at 
small  arms,  and  to  observe  the  conduct 
and  condition  of  the  enemy  6 

In  the  foretop,  five  men  at  small  arms,  and  to 

repair  the  rigging  -  5 

In  the  mizentop,  three  men  at  small  arms,  and 

to  repair  the  rigging  3 

In  the  powder  room,  the  Gunner's  Mate  with 
an  assistant  to  fill  and  hand  powder  to  the 
boys,  carriers  -  2 

In  the  cockpit,  the  Doctor  and  his  mate   -  2 


1 60 


"The  people,"  observes  Captain  Hutchinson,  "should  be 
quartered  to  fight  nearest  to  where  they  are  stationed  to 
work  the  ship,  that  is,  the  afterguard  on  the  quarter  deck, 
the  waisters  in  the  waist,  forecastlemen  that  are  necessary 
on  the  forecastle,  &c.  The  quarter  bill  and  discipline  of  the 
crew  should  be  kept  from  disorder  as  long  as  possible, 
and  when  occasional  duty  requires  people  to  be  let  go  from 
their  quarters,  it  should  not  be  done  at  random,  but  with 
judgment,  such  as  will  suit  the  occasion,  from  the  mus- 
keteers, or  a  man  from  each  great  gun,  &c.,  where  they 
can  be  best  spared  to  continue  in,  or  be  brought  to  action  in 
the  most  regular  order  that  is  possible." 

But  what  of  the  men  who  formed  the  crews  of  these 
vessels?  "An  Old  Stager,"  speaking  of  privateers  from 
personal  observation,  as  a  genuine  "Dicky  Sam"  says: 
"Liverpool  was  famous  for  this  kind  of  craft.  The  fastest 


THE  ANCIENT  MARINER.  5 

sailing  vessels  were,  of  course,  selected  for  this  service,  and 
as  the  men  shipped  on  board  of  them  were  safe,  in  virtue  of 
the  letter  of  marque,  from  impressment,  the  most  dashing 
and  daring  of  the  sailors  came  out  of  their  hiding  holes  to 
take  service  in  them.  On  the  day  when  such  a  vessel  left 
the  dock,  the  captain  or  owner  generally  gave  a  grand 
dinner  to  his  friends,  and  it  was  a  great  treat  to  be  of  the 
party.  While  the  good  things  were  being  discussed  in  the 
cabin,  toasts  given,  speeches  made,  and  all  the  rest  of  it, 
she  continued  to  cruise  in  the  river,  with  music  playing, 
colours  flying,  the  centre  of  attraction  and  admiration,  '  the 
observed  of  all  observers  '  as  she  dashed  like  a  flying  fish 
through  the  water.  And  then  the  crew  !  The  captain  was 
always  some  brave,  daring  man,  who  had  fought  his  way 
to  his  position.  The  officers  were  selected  for  the  same 
qualities  ;  and  the  men — what  a  reckless,  dreadnought, 
dare-devil  collection  of  human  beings,  half-disciplined,  but 
yet  ready  to  obey  every  order,  the  more  desperate  the 
better.  Your  true  privateersman  was  a  sort  of  half-horse, 
half-alligator,  with  a  streak  of  lightning  in  his  composi- 
tion— something  like  a  man-of-war's  man,  but  much  more 
like  a  pirate — generally  with  a  super-abundance  of  whisker, 
as  if  he  held  with  Sampson  that  his  strength  was  in  the 
quantity  of  his  hair.  And  how  they  would  cheer,  and  be 
cheered,  as  we  passed  any  other  vessel  in  the  river  ;  and 
when  the  eating  and  drinking  and  speaking  and  toasting 
were  over,  and  the  boat  was  lowered,  and  the  guests  were  in 
it,  how  they  would  cheer  again,  more  lustily  than  ever,  as 
the  rope  was  cast  off,  and,  as  the  landsmen  were  got  rid  of, 
put  about  their  own  vessel,  with  fortune  and  the  world 
before  them,  and  French  West  Indiamen  and  Spanish 
galleons  in  hope  and  "prospect.  Those  were  jolly  days  to 
some  people,  but  we  trust  we  may  never  see  the  like  of  them 
again.  The  dashing  man-of-war  and  the  daring  privateer 
dazzled  the  eyes  of  the  understanding,  and  kindled  wild  and 


6  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

fierce  enthusiasm  on  all  sides.  The  "Park  and  Tower  guns 
and  the  extraordinary  Gazette  confirmed  the  madness,  and 
kept  up  a  constant  fever  of  excitement.  But  count  the  cost. 
Lift  up  the  veil,  and  peep  at  the  hideous  features  of 
the  demon  of  war.  Look  at  the  mouldering  corruption 
beneath  the  whited  sepulchre  of  glory  !  But  no  sermons,  if 
you  please." 

Having  got  our  ship,  and  her  crew  of  dare-devils  on 
board,  let  us  consult  Captain  Hutchinson  as  to  the  best  way 
of  managing  both  ship  and  men.  "As  soon  as  the  ship 
has  got  to  sea,"  he  tells  us,  "take  the  first  opportunity  to 
have  all  hands  called  to  quarters ;  the  officers  in  their  stations 
to  have  everything  made  properly  ready  and  fit  for  action  ; 
to  have  a  general  exercise,  not  only  of  the  great  guns  and 
small  arms,  but  the  method  of  working  and  managing  the 
ship,  to  take  the  advantage  of  the  openings  that  often  occur 
in  attacking  and  being  attacked  by  another  single  ship  ;  and 
the  designed  manoeuvres  should  be  taught  the  people  in 
their  general  exercise  that  they  may  know  how  to  act  with- 
out confusion.  When  a  ship  of  nearly  equal  force  brought 
to  with  a  design  to  fight  us,  my  intention  was  not  to  run 
directly  alongside  and  lie  to  like  a  log,  and  depend  upon 
mere  battering  with  one  side  only,  nor  upon  the  stern  chase 
guns.  When  it  is  found  that  there  is  no  choice  of  running 
from  a  ship  of  much  superior  force  chasing  us,  and  when 
their  best  sailing  is  upon  a  wind,  it  is  a  common  practice  for 
them  to  run  up  and  bring  to  under  the  lee  in  a  triumphant 
manner,  depending  on  their  superior  power,  and  commonly 
demanding  immediate  submission  without  expecting  any 
resistance.  The  designed  manner  of  resisting  or  attacking 
I  always  endeavoured  to  conceal  as  long  as  possible, 
and  these  two  cases  give  all  the  advantages  desired  by  my 
method. 

"  Begin  the  attack  upon  the  weather  quarter,  shooting 
the  ship  upon  the  wind  with  the  helm  a-lee,  till  the  after- 


THE  ANCIENT  MARINER.  1 

lee  gun,  with  which  we  begin,  can  be  pointed  upon  the 
enemy's  stern  ;  then  fire,  the  lee  broadside,  as  it  may  be 
called.  The  ship  begins  the  attack  upon  the  enemy  when  the 
topsails  are  thrown  aback,  with  the  helm  a-lee,  boxing  the 
ship  round  on  her  heels,  so  as  to  bring  the  wind  so  far  aft 
that  the  ship  may  immediately  be  steered  close  under  the 
enemy's  stern,  with  particular  orders  to  begin  with  the 
foremost  gun,  to  rake  them  right  fore  and  aft  with  the  great 
guns,  as  they  pass  in  that  line  of  direction,  all  aiming  and 
firing  to  break  the  neck  or  cheeks  of  the  rudder  head,  the 
tiller'  ropes,  blocks,  &c.,  so  as,  if  possible,  to  destroy  the 
steerage  tackle,  which  design,  if  it  proves  successful,  takes 
the  management  of  their  ship  from  them,  so  that  she  must 
lie  helpless  for  a  time,  in  spite  of  their  endeavours.  When 
the  aftermost  gun  is  fired,  put  the  helm  hard-a-weather  to 
bring  the  ship  by  the  wind  ;  and  then  stand  off  on  the 
other  tack,  to  keep  clear  of  their  lee  broadside  and  act 
according  to  their  motions,  and  the  experience  of  the  effect 
your  attack  has  had  upon  them.  If  they  continue  to  lie-to, 
either  renew  the  attack  again  in  the  same  manner  as  soon 
as  the  ship  will  fetch  the  weather  quarter  again,  or  make  sail 
off  to  escape,  if  it  is  found  that  the  great  inequality  of  their 
superior  force  admits  of  no  possible  chance  of  conquering 
them.  And  although  this  manoeuvre  may  not  have  given 
this  advantage  (which  in  my  opinion  ought  always  to  be 
attempted,  and  not  to  submit  tamely,  though  a  ship  is 
above  double  the  force),  yet  the  power  of  their  broadsides 
may  be  chiefly  avoided  by  it. 

"  But  when  the  inequality  of  force  is  not  so  great,  but 
there  is  a  possibility  of  conquering,  and  if  the  success  of 
the  first  attack  is  perceived  to  oblige  the  enemy  to  continue 
lying-to,  in  order  to  repair  the  damage  done  their  rudder 
or  tiller,  &c.,  then  the  blow  should  be  followed  by  renewing 
the  attack  again  with  all  possible  expedition,  in  the  same 
manner  which  gives  the  opening,  not  only  to  fire  the  whole 


THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVA  TEERS. 

round  of  great  guns  to  advantage,  but  also  to  the  marines 
and  topmen  to  fire  their  small  arms  at  the  same  time  to 
great  advantage,  so  as  to  do  the  most  execution  possible  by 
firing  and  raking  them  fore  and  aft  through  their  most  open 
and  tender  part,  the  stern,  with  the  least  risk  possible  from 
the  enemy's  guns,  and,  therefore,  gives  the  greatest  possible 
chance  that  I  know  of  to  make  an  easy  conquest,  especially 
if  so  lucky  as  to  destroy  and  prevent  the  recovery  of  their 
steerage.  A  ship  of  much  superior  force  may  be  brought 
to  such  a  distressed  condition  as  to  be  obliged  to  make  a 
submission  for  want  of  the  helm  to  command  her. 

"  But  suppose  the  enemy,  laid  to  as  above  mentioned, 
find  themselves  not  much  hurt  by  this  manosuvre,  and  that 
you  had  not  succeeded  in  destroying  their  steerage,  and 
therefore  you  may  expect  that  they  will  immediately  tack, 
or  ware  ship,  and  stand  after  you,  depending  on  their 
advantages  of  sailing  faster  and  superior  force,  shall  run 
up  along  your  lee  side,  expecting  by  making  a  general 
discharge  of  their  small  arms  and  great  guns  (charged  with 
suitable  shot)  on  your  deck,  which  lies  open  to  them  by 
the  ship's  heeling,  to  destroy  your  people  and  to  make  you 
submit?  When  this  is  likely  to  be  their  design,  orders 
should  be  given  to  your  people  to  keep  themselves  as  snug 
under  shelter  as  possible  from  their  small  shot,  till  their 
general  discharge  is  over  ;  then  if  the  ship  is  found  not  so 
disabled,  but  that  the  topsails  can  be  thrown  aback,  make 
a  general  discharge  from  the  lee  side,  and  the  great  guns, 
loaded  with  round  shot  only,  pointed  to  the  weather-side  of 
the  enemy's  bottom,  amidships  to  one  point,  at  the  water- 
edge,  and  box-haul  the  ship  to  run  close  under  their  stern, 
aiming  at  raking  and  destroying  their  steerage  with  the 
other  broadside  ;  then  stand  off  on  the  other  tack,  as 
before  mentioned,  and  act  according  to  the  circumstance 
and  the  condition  you  find  yourselves  in.  Compare  with 
the  appearance  of  that  of  the  enemy  and  their  motions, 


THE  ANCIENT  MARINER.  9 

who  may  be  obliged  to  continue  on  the  other  tack  to  repair 
damages  about  their  rudder,  or  to  stop  their  leaks  in  the 
weather-side  of  their  bottom,  if  your  aim  has  proved 
successful. 

"But  when  an  enemy's  ship  of  force  makes  only  a  run- 
ning fight,  if  there  is  no  necessity  to  cut  them  off  from  the 
shore  or  from  the  shelter  of  other  ships,  etc.,  and  you  have 
the  advantage  of  sailing  faster,  the  most  sure  and  likely 
method  to  make  an  easy  conquest  with  the  least  hurt  to 
yourselves  or  their  ship  (your  expected  prize)  is  to  run  close 
up  and  shoot  or  sheer  your  ship  across  their  stern  each  way, 
making  a  general  discharge  of  all  your  force,  first  with  one 
broadside,  then  the  other,  always  aiming  with  the  great 
guns  at  the  rudder-head  and  steerage  tackling,  for  the 
reasons  given — that  if  the  shots  miss  the  rudder,  etc.,  by 
raking  the  ship  fore  and  aft  through  the  stern,  they  may  do 
the  greatest  execution  possible  to  distress  them  so  as  to 
make  a  submission.  On  this  occasion,  when  it  blows  fresh 
and  obliges  to  carry  a  pressing  sail  large,  or  before  the 
wind,  to  make  the  great  guns  as  ready  as  possible,  and  pre- 
vent their  being  fired  too  low,  all  their  breeches  should  be 
laid  quite  down  in  the  carriage,  and  if  your  ship  is  crank, 
the  yards  should  be  braced  so  as  to  shiver  the  sails  at  the 
time  each  broadside  is  fired.  In  all  these  manoeuvres,  when 
the  whole  round  of  great  guns  are  designed  to  be  fired,  care 
should  be  always  taken  to  leave  two  or  more  men,  as  it  may 
require,  to  charge  each  gun  again  when  fired  on  one  side, 
whilst  the  others  move  over  to  fire  the  guns  on  the  opposite 
side,  that  neither  side  may  be  left  unguarded ;  all  which,  with 
every  other  advantageous  manoeuvre  that  may  be  designed 
to  be  put  in  practice  in  action,  should  be  taught  the  people 
along  with  the  general  exercise  of  great  guns  and  small 
arms,  by  throwing  a  light,  empty  beef-cask  overboard, 
making  it  the  object  of  attack,  for  all  the  guns  to  be  pointed 
at,  when  performing  the  above-described  or  other  intended 


10  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

manoeuvres  about  it ;  first,  by  running  a  little  way  large 
from  it,  then  haul  the  wind,  tack  ship,  and  stand  towards 
it,  keeping  it  about  three  points  on  the  lee  bow  till  within 
a  half-cable's  length  or  musket  shot  of  it ;  then  put  the 
helm  a-lee  and  shoot  the  ship  up  in  the  wind  with  the  top- 
sails aback,  till  the  after  gun  can  be  pointed  to  the  cask; 
then  give  the  word  of  command  to  fire  when  there  is  a  fair 
opening  to  make  a  general  discharge,  both  below  and  aloft 
on  that  side.  When  you  have  box-hauled  your  ship,  and 
run  close  past  the  cask  to  make  a  general  discharge  from 
the  other  side,  then  bear  round  away  from  it,  ware,  and  haul 
the  wind  on  the  other  tack  till  you  can  tack  and  fetch  up  to 
it  again  to  repeat  this,  or  perform  any  other  manoeuvres 
that  may  give  an  advantage  to  attack  or  defend  a  ship  laid 
to  or  sailing  upon  a  wind,  as  above  mentioned. 

"To  perform  the  manoeuvres  of  attacking  an  enemy  to 
make  a  running  fight  large,  or  before  the  wind,  you  have 
only  to  turn  far  enough  to  windward  of  the  cask  to  give 
room  in  sailing  down  to  it  to  bring  the  ship's  broadside  to 
point  to  it  each  way.  But  to  perform  this  manoeuvre  to  the 
greatest  advantage,  with  the  least  loss  of  time,  and  the  ship's 
way  through  the  water  (which  may  be  of  great  importance 
on  this  occasion  to  keep  close  up  with  the  enemy),  all  the 
great  guns  should  be  run  out  close  to  the  after  part  of 
the  ports,  that  they  may  be  pointed  as  far  forward  as  the 
sides  of  the  ports  will  admit,  and  elevated  as  the  heeling  of 
the  ship,  when  brought  to,  to  fire,  may  require,  as  above 
mentioned  ;  and  particular  orders  should  be  given  for  the 
aftermost  guns  on  each  side  to  be  fired  first,  as  soon  as  they 
can  be  brought  to  bear  upon  the  enemy,  because  then  the 
ship  need  not  be  brought  any  more  to,  but  steered  in  that 
direction  till  the  other  guns  are  fired;  then  shift  the  helm  to 
ware,  to  bring  the  other  broadside  to  bear,  etc. 

"  After  the  people  have  been  thus  disciplined,  it  is  neces- 
sary to  let  them  smell  powder,  as  it  is  termed,  and  a  little 


THE  ANCIENT  MARINER.  11 

ammunition  spent  in  exercise,  it  is  allowed,  may  be  the 
means  to  save  a  great  deal  expended  to  little  or  no  purpose 
in  action  ;  therefore,  I  used  to  allow  a  small  charge  of 
powder  for  the  round  of  great  guns,  with  stone  ballast  for 
shot,  and  the  musketeers  two  charges  with  balls  each,  and 
give  them  a  fair  chance  by  these  manoeuvres  to  fire  both 
broadsides  and  small  arms  at  the  cask.  If  they  sunk  it, 
all  hands  to  have  an  allowance  of  grog,  as  it  is  called, 
but  if  they  did  not  sink  it,  to  have  the  trouble  and  morti- 
fication to  hoist  out  the  boat  and  fetch  it  on  board  to  serve 
another  time." 

In  his  observations  on  preparing  for  exercise  or  action, 
Captain  Hutchinson  says  :  "When  all  hands  are  called  to 
quarters,  every  man  should  bring  his  hammock,  well  lashed 
up,  and  stow  it  to  the  greatest  advantage,  to  give  shelter  from 
small  arms,  nearest  to  his  own  quarters ;  or  to  give  them  to 
some  of  his  messmates  where  they  are  the  most  wanted,  that 
they  may  know  readily  where  to  find  them  when  exercise  or 
action  is  over.  When  the  hammocks  are  properly  stowed, 
the  officers,  according  to  their  stations  and  duties,  are  to  see 
the  ship  effectually  cleared  of  all  incumbrances,  and  every- 
thing prepared,  so  that  nothing  may  be  wanting  that  is 
necessary  for  exercise  or  action.  The  lieutenants  or  mates, 
with  the  gunner  on  the  gun  deck,  are  to  get  all  the  hatches 
laid,  except  that  where  the  powder  is  to  be  handed  up.  A 
match-tub,  half  filled  with  water,  and  four  matches  in  the 
notches,  placed  as  near  midship  as  possible,  to  serve  two  guns 
and  their  opposites  ;  also  swabs  to  wet  the  decks,  to  pre- 
vent the  fatal  consequences  that  may  attend  the  scattered  and 
blown  powder  from  the  priming  of  the  guns  making  a  train 
fore  and  aft,  which  I  have  known  take  fire  from  the  firing 
of  the  guns  and  do  great  damage,  and  which,  in  my  opinion, 
has  often  been  the  cause  of  blowing  ships  up  ;  and  they 
should  see  that  the  captain  of  each  gun  has  his  men, 
powder-horn,  rope,  sponge,  rammer,  crows,  handspikes, 


12  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

and  train  tackles  all  ready  in  their  proper  places.  The 
boatswain  must  get  the  yards  slung,  the  topsail  sheets 
stoppered,  and  marline-spikes  ready  to  repair  the  standing 
and  running  rigging  that  may  be  damaged.  The  carpenters 
are  to  get  the  pumps  rigged,  and  shot  plugs  with  all  that  is 
necessary  ready  in  their  proper  places  to  stop  leaks  and 
repair  damages.  The  gunner,  when  preparing  for  action, 
is  to  see  that  the  charges  in  the  guns  are  dry,  and  that  there 
is  a  sufficient  quantity  of  wads  and  shot  of  all  sorts  and 
cartridges  ready  filled.  The  marine  officers  are  to  see  all 
the  musketeers  at  their  quarters,  with  their  arms  and  ammu- 
nition in  good  order  for  exercise  or  action." 

The  reader,  doubtless,  feels  that  Captain  Hutchinson  was 
a  thorough  master  of  his  profession,  and  observant  of  the 
minutest  details.  He  was  in  truth  a  man  of  a  very  practical 
and  scientific  turn  of  mind,  claiming  our  respect  on  many 
grounds,  and  that  of  sailors  in  particular,  as  the  father  of 
the  Liverpool  Marine  Society.  But  we  have  not  finished 
our  lessons  yet  in  the  School  of  Privateering.  Speaking 
of  fortifying  the  quarter  deck,  Captain  Hutchinson  says  : 
u  Whatever  may  contribute  to  shelter  and  save  the  people 
must  be  allowed  to  deserve  notice.  Various  methods  and 
things  have  been  tried  for  this  purpose.  I  was  in  a  ship 
that  had  bags  of  ox-hair  that  were  said  to  resist  even 
cannon  shot  ;  but  in  fighting  with  a  French  frigate  I 
saw  one  of  her  shot  go  through  eighteen  inches  of  hair, 
through  the  middle  of  an  eighteen-inch  mast,  and  a 
long  way  over  our  ship  afterwards  ;  which  proves  no 
fence  can  be  made  about  a  ship  against  cannon  shot  ; 
but  against  small  and  musket  shots  a  fence  may  be 
made  many  ways.  However,  this  fence  or  breastwork 
may  be  made  to  shelter  the  people  from  small  shot ;  in 
common  they  are  no  more  than  breast-high,  so  that  the 
musketeers  can  fire  fairly  over  them  upon  the  enemy.  But 
from  experience  in  fighting  I  have  observed  among  new 


THE  ANCIENT  MARINER.  13 

fighting  men  there  will  always  be  something  to  show  that 
natural  instinct  of  self-preservation  ;  and  in  order  to  keep 
their  heads  under  shelter  of  the  breastwork  from  the 
enemy's  shot,  they  fire  their  muskets  at  random  up  into  the 
air.  Seeing  this,  and  to  prevent  the  bad  effect  of  such 
examples  in  fighting,  I  have  made  a  feigned  lunge  at  a 
man's  breast  with  my  drawn  sword,  and  have  been 
obliged  to  threaten  death  to  any  man  that  should  show 
such  a  bad  example  ;  though  it  must  be  allowed  to 
be  only  a  failing  and  not  a  fault  among  new  undis- 
ciplined landsmen  first  coming  into  action,  who,  at 
seeing  a  man  shot  through  the  head  above  the  breast- 
work, may  show  a  little  fear,  but  by  practice  may 
prove  brave  afterwards.  Therefore,  to  remedy  this  defect 
which  I  perceived  in  fighting  the  small  arms,  in  fitting  out 
a  privateer  afterwards,  we  had  a  rail,  as  in  common,  breast- 
high  on  each  side  the  quarter  deck,  and  on  the  rails  were 
fixed  light  iron  crutches,  with  the  arms  about  a  foot  square, 
and  a  shoulder  to  keep  the  bottom  of  the  crutches  about  six 
inches  above  the  rails,  and  thin  boards  about  six  inches 
broad,  laid  upon  the  bottom  of  the  crutches  ;  and  netting 
with  large  square  meshes  were  formed  just  to  hold  a 
hammock  with  its  bedding  longways;  and  from  the  gunnel 
to  the  rail  was  boarded  up  on  each  side  of  the  stanchions, 
and  filled  up  with  rope  shakings,  cork  shavings,  etc.,  which 
are  found  sufficient  proof  against  musket  ball,  which  made 
so  ready  and  good  a  fence  for  the  quarter-deck  musketeers 
that  the  most  timorous  could  point  his  piece  with  the  utmost 
confidence  between  the  rail  and  the  netting,  and  fire  right 
upon  the  enemy,  by  having  his  head,  as  well  as  his  body, 
under  such  secure  shelter.  For  the  same  reasons,  in  clearing 
and  preparing  the  ship  for  fighting,  I  used  to  make  the 
forecastle  and  top-men  lash  the  hammocks,  to  shelter  them, 
horizontally  on  the  outside  of  the  fore  and  topmast  shrouds, 
close  to  one  another,  breast  high,  and  then  a  single 


14  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

hammock  above,  leaving  a  little  vacancy  to  point  and  fire 
their  muskets  through,  which  guards  that  tender  and  most 
important  seat  of  knowledge,  the  head,  as  well  as  the  other 
parts  of  the  body  which  it  governs,  from  the  enemy's  small 
shot." 

The  commander  of  a  privateer  was  not  free  to  roam  the 
wide  ocean  at  his  own  sweet  will  in  search  of  prey.  He 
usually  had  his  station  allotted  to  him  by  his  owners,  and 
in  any  case  his  self-interest  would  lead  him  to  select  a 
"beat"  frequented  by  passing  vessels.  Discoursing  on  a 
ship  cruising  on  her  station,  Captain  Hutchinson  reveals 
the  tactics  pursued  by  himself  and  Captain  Fortunatus 
Wright  in  the  War  with  Spain  and  France  (1739-1748). 
"  Cruising,"  he  says,  "  the  war  before  last,  in  the  employ  of 
that  great  but  unfortunate  hero,  Fortunatus  Wright,  in  the 
Mediterranean  Sea,  where  the  wind  blows  generally  either 
easterly  or  westerly — that  is,  either  up  or  down  the  Straits — 
it  was  planned,  with  either  of  these  winds  that  blew,  to  steer 
up  or  down  the  common  channels,  the  common  course, 
large  or  before  the  wind  in  the  day-time  without  any  sail  set, 
that  the  enemy's  trading  ships  astern,  crowding  sail  with 
this  fair  wind,  might  come  up  in  sight,  or  we  come  in  sight 
of  those  ships  ahead  that  might  be  turning  to  windward  ; 
and  at  sunset,  if  nothing  appeared  to  an  officer  at  the  mast- 
head, we  continued  to  run  five  or  six  leagues  as  far  as 
could  then  be  seen  before  we  laid  the  ship  to  for  the  night, 
to  prevent  the  ships  astern  coming  up  and  passing  out  of 
sight  before  the  morning,  or  our  passing  those  ships  that 
might  be  turning  to  windward  ;  and  if  nothing  appeared  to 
an  officer  at  the  mast-head  at  sunrise,  we  bore  away  and 
steered  as  before.  And  when  the  wind  blew  across  the 
channels  that  ships  could  sail  their  course  either  up  or 
down,  then  to  keep  the  ship  in  a  fair  way  ;  in  the  day-time 
to  steer  the  common  course  under  the  courses  and  lower  stay- 
sails ;  and  in  the  night,  under  topsails  with  the  courses  in 


THE  ANCIENT  MARINER.  15 

the  brails,  with  all  things  as  ready  as  possible  for  action, 
and  to  take  or  leave  what  we  might  fall  in  with  in  the  night. 
"  Many  other  advantages  attend  cruising  without  any,  or 
but  with  low  sails  set.  As  above  mentioned,  in  the  day-time 
and  fine  weather,  when  other  ships  are  crowding  with  all 
their  lofty  sails  set,  they  may  be  seen  at  twice  the  distance 
that  you  can,  which  gives  you  the  opportunity  to  see  them 
a  long  time  before  they  can  see  you,  and  to  take  their 
bearing  by  the  compass,  and  observe  how  they  alter,  by 
which  it  may  be  perceivable  how  they  are  steering,  and  you 
may  consult  what  is  best  to  be  done,  if  it  is  too  late  in  the 
day  to  give  chase,  which  should  always  be  considered. 
For,  three-mast  ships,  in  fine  weather,  with  all  their  lofty 
sails  set,  may  be  seen  from  each  other's  mast-heads  seven 
leagues  distance,  which  must  make  a  seven-hours  chase,  at 
three  miles  an  hour  difference  in  the  ships'  sailing,  which  is 
a  great  deal  with  a  leading  wind  ;  and  if  the  chase  happens 
to  be  to  windward,  must  make  it  still  longer  in  proportion 
of  time  to  come  up  with  her  ;  and  when  they  perceive  they 
are  chased,  and  think  themselves  in  danger  of  being  taken, 
they  will  naturally  use  all  possible  means  to  escape  out  of 
sight  by  altering  their  course  in  the  dark,  if  they  cannot  be 
got  near  enough  for  you  to  keep  sight  of  them  in  the  night. 
For  these  reasons,  without  the  time,  situations,  circum- 
stances and  appearance  require  you  immediately  to  give 
chase  with  all  your  sail  at  the  first  sight  of  a  vessel,  it  often 
happens  that  you  may  stand  a  much  better  chance  to  speak 
with  the  vessel  by  endeavouring  to  waylay  and  conceal 
your  design  and  ship  from  them  ;  which  may  be  done 
even  in  the  day-time,  with  all  the  sails  furled  as  before 
mentioned,  till  within  four  leagues'  distance,  when  it  is 
computed  a  ship's  hull,  in  a  clear  horizon,  begins  to  appear 
above  it.  When  this  concealment  can  be  made,  and  all  is 
ready  prepared  to  take  or  leave,  and  you  can  fall  in  with 
the  expected  enemy  in  the  night  or  early  next  morning,  if 


16  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

they  are  found  unprepared  for  action  it  must  give  you  a 
great  advantage  over  them.  But  when  you  cannot  be 
concealed  from  the  enemy's  vessels  in  sight  that  may  be 
coming  with  a  fair  wind  towards  you,  then  it  should  be 
considered  whether,  instead  of  giving  chase  with  all  your 
sail  set  in  fine  weather,  it  may  not  be  better  to  disguise 
your  ship,  to  appear  as  an  inoffensive  neutral  ship,  by 
getting  your  fore  and  mizen-top-gallant  yards  down,  and 
the  masts  struck  with  only  their  heads  above  the  caps,  and 
either  stand  upon  the  wind  with  the  main-top-gallant  sail 
set,  if  not  noticed,  till  by  tacking  you  can  fetch  near  the 
intended  chase,  or  to  steer  near  the  same  course  with  them, 
with  stop-waters  towed  in  the  water,  which  I  have  seen 
done  with  success  to  make  the  ship  sail  so  comparatively 
slow  as  to  induce  an  enemy  to  come  faster  up  with  you, 
than  you  could  with  them,  by  chasing." 

The  reader  has  now  been  primed  with  sufficient  nautical 
information  to  enable  him  to  assume  command — in  imagina- 
tion, at  least— of  the  largest  privateer  afloat.  The  subject  of 
cartridges  was  an  important  one  to  all  engaged  in  warfare. 
The  old-fashioned  cartridges  were  almost  as  dangerous 
to  friends  as  to  foes,  and  at  the  commencement  of  the 
Seven  Years  War  in  1756  we  find  Mr.  Robert  Williamson, 
the  printer,  publisher,  and  editor  of  Williamson's  Adver- 
tiser, announcing  in  his  paper  that  he  sold  "  prepared 
cartridges  of  all  sizes  for  the  use  of  privateers  and  other 
ships  of  war.  This  preparation,"  says  the  advertisement, 
"prevents  any  spark  from  remaining  in  the  gun  after  its 
discharge,  and  thereby  not  only  secures  the  life  of  the 
person  who  re-loads  the  gun,  but  increases  its  execution,  by 
saving  much  time  ;  for  it  may  be  instantly  re-charged  with- 
out sponging — advantages  always  experienced  in  the  use 
of  these  cartridges,  and  too  important  in  time  of  action  to 
be  neglected  by  any  sea  commander.  The  great  demand 
for  these  cartridges  in  the  late  war  was  a  sufficient  proof  of 


THE  ANCIENT  MARINER.  17 

their  utility  ;  and  no  other  recommendation  of  them  is 
necessary  than  appeal  to  those  commanders  who  then  used 
them."  Some  very  sad  and  horrible  accidents  resulted  from 
the  use  of  the  old-fashioned  cartridges,  and  many  a  fine 
fellow  was  blown  to  eternity,  or  maimed  for  life,  while  in 
the  act  of  re-loading  a  gun  in  which  the  remains  of  an  old 
cartridge  still  smouldered.  Mr.  Williamson,  whose  por- 
trait hangs  in  the  Liverpool  Free  Public  Library,  William 
Brown  Street,  was  a  most  enterprising  man,  combining 
with  his  printing  and  bookselling  business,  that  of  a  broker 
and  keeper  of  an  employment  registry.  He  also  sold 
"ransom  bills  (French  and  English),  and  an  abridgment 
of  the  Articles  of  War,  designed  for  the  use  of  privateers 
and  vessels  that  carry  letters  of  marque." 

The  first  newspaper  ever  published  in  Liverpool  was  the 
Leverpoole  Courant,  printed  in  1711-12  by  S.  Terry,  in  Dale 
Street  ;  but  to  Robert  Williamson  belongs  the  credit  of 
publishing  the  first  Liverpool  newspaper  that  attained  a 
venerable  age.  Started  on  the  28th  of  May,  1756,  as 
Williamson's  Liverpool  Advertiser  and  Mercantile  Register, 
its  title  was  changed  on  January  6,  1794,  to  Billinge's 
Liverpool  Advertiser,  Mr.  Billinge  being  then  editor.  Its 
name  was  again  changed  to  that  of  the  Liverpool  Times, 
which  it  retained  until  1856,  when  it  ceased  to  appear.  A 
second  Liverpool  newspaper,  called  the  Chronicle,*  was 
started  in  1756-7,  but  was  discontinued  in  less  than  three 
years.  In  December,  1765,  Mr.  John  Gore  published  the 
first  number  of  the  Liverpool  General  Advertiser,  or  the 
Commercial  Register,  the  title  of  which  was  afterwards 
changed  to  the  General  Advertiser. 


*  Williamson'1  s  Advertiser  of  November  25,  1757,  says:  "Mr.  Robert  Fleetwood, 
bookseller,  and  Mr.  Sadler,  printer,  have  declined  being  any  longer  concerned  in 
publishing  the  Chronicle,  or  any  other  newspaper."  The  Chronicle,  jealous  of  the 
advertisements  in  Williamson's  paper,  charged  him  with  inserting  too  many  pufts 
of  quack  medicines. 

B 


IS  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

The  reader  will  pardon  this  digression,  for  it  is  to  the 
enterprise  of  these  two  men,  Robert  Williamson  and  John 
Gore,  every  historian  of  Liverpool  is  indebted  for  much 
valuable  matter.  The  name  of  Gore  suggests  an  employ- 
ment in  connection  with  privateering  which  we  have  not 
yet  noticed,  that  of  linguist  or  "  linguister."  In  1780  the 
following  advertisement  appeared  in  the  papers: — "Wanted 
a  person  who  understands  perfectly  the  Dutch  language,  to 
go  linguist  in  a  good  stout  privateer.  Such  a  person  (if 
sober  and  well  recommended)  will  meet  with  good  encour- 
agement by  applying  to  John  Gore."  In  the  slave  ships 
the  position  of  linguist  was  often  held  by  "ladies  of 
colour." 

Let  us  now  enquire  into  the  cost  of  fitting  out  a  privateer. 
Fortunately,  we  are  not  obliged  to  resort  to  mere  estimates 
or  guess-work,  having  before  us  the  original  accounts  of 
the  Enterprise  privateer,  of  Liverpool  ;  Captain  James 
Haslam,  commander.  She  sailed  on  her  first  cruise  in 
September,  1779,  with  a  crew  of  106,  composed  as  follows  :— 
Captain,  first,  second,  and  third  lieutenants,  sailing  master, 
2  master's  mates,  2  prize-masters,  surgeon,  captain  of 
marines  and  his  mate,  carpenter  and  his  mate,  boatswain 
and  his  2  mates,  gunner  and  3  mates  (the  fourth  absconded), 
cook,  cooper  and  his  mate,  4  quartermasters,  armourer, 
captain's  clerk,  ship's  steward,  2  cabin  stewards,  sail- 
maker,  20  seamen,  6  "  three-quarter "  seamen,  13  "half" 
seamen,  9  "quarter"  seamen,  18  landsmen,  3  boys,  and  3 
apprentices.  The  amount  of  wages  advanced  to  the  sea- 
men was  £645  8s.  5^d.,  each  officer  and  man  receiving 
two  months'  pay  in  advance.  The  disbursements  made 
to  tradesmen  and  others  in  connection  with  the  outfit 
amounted  to  ,£1,388  55.  3d.;  making  a  total  expenditure 
of  £2,033  I3S-  8^d.  This  sum  was  debited  to  the 
owners  of  the  privateer  in  the  following  proportions, 
according  to  the  amount  of  their  shares  : — 


THE  ANCIENT  MARINER.                           19 

Thomas  Earle  3/16  -  -     ^381  6  4 

Edgar  Corrie  2/16  -  254  4  2>2 

Francis  Ingram  2/16  -  254  4  2^ 

William  Earle  2/16  ~  254  4  2K 

Dillon  and  Leyland-  2/16  ~  254  4  2X 

Peter  Freeland          -  Vie  ~  I27  2  l/i 

Thomas  Eagles         -  1/10  -  127  2  i^{ 

Edward  Chaffers       -  Vie  ~  127  2  i}£ 

James  Carruthers      -  Vie  ~  127  2  i*^ 

William  Denison      -  Vic  ~  I27  2  1Y\ 


^"2033  13 


For  the  rate  of  wages  paid  to  the  commander,  officers, 
and  crew;  the  names  of  the  tradesmen  supplying  the  outfit, 
together  with  the  amount  of  their  respective  accounts,  and 
other  curious  matter  connected  with  the  first,  second,  and 
third  cruise  of  the  Enterprise,  the  reader  is  referred  to  the 
appendix.  It  is  worth  noting  here,  however,  that  the 
French  and  Spanish  commissions  or  letters  of  marque  cost 
^41  i/s.  4d.,  and  that  a  considerable  expenditure  appears 
to  have  been  incurred  in  bringing  seamen  from  Whitehaven 
and  Chester  to  Liverpool,  due  probably  to  the  extraordinary 
number  of  privateers  despatched  from  Liverpool  about  this 
period,  and  the  consequent  difficulty  of  procuring  crews. 
The  amounts  which  are  set  down  for  clothes,  etc.,  for  the 
French  prisoners,  and  the  present  of  £21  to  the  dispensary, 
prove  that  the  owners  of  this  privateer  were  generous  and 
humane  men.  The  name  of  Mr.  Egerton  Smith,  father  of 
the  founder  of  the  Liverpool  Mercury,  appears  as  supplying 
stationery  to  the  privateer  for  each  cruise.  He  was  a 
schoolmaster  and  printer,  at  one  time  in  Redcross  Street, 
and  afterwards  in  Pool  Lane  (now  South  Castle  Street), 
where  the  future  editor  of  the  Mercury  was  born  in  1774. 

The   total   amount   expended  on  the  Enterprise  in  her 


20  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

three  cruises,  together  with  the  value  of  the  ship,  was  as 

follows  : — 

Outfit  for  first  cruise     -  -     ^2033   13 

Outfit  for  second  cruise  568   17     2 

Outfit  for  third  cruise   -  24T3     4     2 


5015   15     0 
Value  of  the  ship  -         2050     o     o 


£7065  15 


The  Enterprise  captured  several  prizes,  the  proceeds  of 
one  or  two  of  which,  probably,  more  than  covered  the 
above  outlay.  When  it  is  borne  in  mind  that  in  the  year 
1779  there  belonged  to  the  port  of  Liverpool  a  fleet  of 
1  20  privateers,  whose  aggregate  tonnage  was  31,385, 
carrying  1,986  guns,  and  8,754  men  '•>  some  idea  of  the 
benefits  accruing  to  the  tradesmen  of  the  town,  as  well 
as  to  the  merchants  and  the  ship  owners,  may  be 
formed.  The  value  of  the  prizes  taken  by  these  privateers 
has  been  put  down  at  upwards  of  one  million  sterling. 
Judging  by  the  amount  expended  upon  the  Enterprise, 
the  fitting  out  of  the  120  privateers  must  have  imparted 
a  wonderful  activity  to  all  branches  of  trade.  But  the 
mere  fitting-out  of  private  ships  of  war  carrying  no  cargo, 
could  not  compensate  for  the  sad  falling  away  of  the 
lucrative  slave  traffic,  owing  to  the  war  ;  and  it  is 
extremely  doubtful  whether  the  patriotism  of  the  town 
would  have  borne  the  strain  of  so  many  privateers,  if  more 
ships  could  have  been  profitably  employed  in  the  African 
slave  trade.  The  testimony  of  the  Rev.  Gilbert  Wakefield 
is  pretty  clear  on  this  head  :  "  The  principal  cause  of  the 
multitude  of  privateers  from  Liverpool  during  the  French 
and  American  War,"  he  says,  "  was  the  impediment 
which  this  event  had  put  in  the  way  of  the  African  slave 
trade,  whose  head-quarters,  as  I  have  observed,  are  fixed 
at  this  place." 


THE  ANCIENT  MARINER.  21 

The  following  are  copies  of  the  instructions  given  to 
Captain  Haslam  by  Messrs.  Francis  Ingram  &  Co.: — 

"  LIVERPOOL,  i6th  September,  1779. 
"  CAPTAIN  JAMES  HASLAM, 

"SiR, — You  being  appointed  commander  of  our  ship 
Enterprise,  and  being  compleatly  fitted  for  a  cruise  of  six 
months,  are  by  the  first  oppertunity  to  sail  from  hence  and 
make  the  best  of  your  way  to  sea  by  the  North  or  South 
Channel,  as  the  wind  may  offer  most  favourable,  but  we  prefer 
the  former  if  to  be  effected  without  any  extraordinary  Risque, 
as  being  a  path  less  liable  to  meet  with  any  of  the  enemy's 
Cruizers,  and  having  a  chance  to  meet  with  American 
vessels  bound  to  Sweden,  etc.  In  this  case  don't  keep  too 
near  the  coast  of  Ireland,  and  be  sure  to  gain  the  longitude 
of  20  West  from  London  before  you  go  to  the  southward  of 
the  latitude  of  53,  but  shoud  you  go  through  the  South 
Channel,  a  true  W.S.W.  course,  180  or  200  leagues  from 
Tusker,  would  be  the  most  likely  to  lead  you  clear  and 
obtain  the  longitude  of  20,  as  aforesaid,  by  the  time  you 
would  get  into  latitude  of  48  ;  in  either  case,  when  the 
westing  is  gain'd  you  are  to  cross  the  latitudes  under  an 
easy  sail  to  the  Island  of  St.  Mary's,  then  to  cruise  about 
five  degrees  to  the  westward  of  it,  now  and  then  stretching 
half  a  degree  to  the  southward,  as  vessels  may  run  in  that 
path  to  see  it  and  yet  avoid  coming  too  near  for  fear  of 
being  captured. 

"  If  in  the  course  of  three  weeks  you  meet  with  no  success, 
you  are  to  proceed  to  the  westward  of  the  longitude  of 
Corvo,  and  stand  across  north  and  south  from  half  a  degree 
to  the  northward  of  Corvo  to  half  a  degree  to  the  southward 
of  St.  Mary's.  The  whole  of  your  cruize  in  these  stations 
we  remit  to  three  months  from  the  time  of  your  being  the 
length  of  St.  Mary's,  unless  some  extraordinary  intelligence 
may  be  had,  in  which  case  it  is  left  to  your  discretion, 
hoping  that  you  will  at  all  times  weigh  every  circumstance 


22  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVA  TEERS. 

maturely  for  and  against,  aided  by  the  sentiments  of  such 
of  your  officers  as  may  be  depended  upon. 

"  Shoud  you  be  so  fortunate  as  to  take  any  prize 
or  prizes  in  those  stations  of  the  value  of  ,£10,000  or 
upwards,  you  are  to  see  them  safe  into  some  good  port  in 
Ireland,  running  down  in  the  latitude  52,  gaining  that 
paralell  in  longitude  of  15  west  from  London  at  least,  then 
taking  the  North  or  South  Channel  as  wind  and  weather 
may  offer  ;  but  if  not  of  that  value,  dispatch  them  with  a 
trusty  officer,  taking  care  not  to  put  too  many  of  the  enemy 
in  proportion  to  your  own  men  on  board,  giving  the 
directions  for  his  proceeding  as  aforesaid,  with  caution  not 
to  trust  many  of  his  own  people  aloft  at  a  time  on  any 
account  whatever,  as  many  prizes  have  been  retaken  by  the 
prisoners  for  want  of  such  Precaution. 

"Shoud  you  meet  with  no  success,  you  are  then  to 
proceed  to  the  latitude  of  Ushant,  coming  no  farther  to  the 
eastward  than  16  west  from  London,  and  cruize  between 
that  station  and  Corvo,  and  shoud  you  have  no  success  in  a 
reasonable  time,  finish  your  cruize  between  the  latitude 
37  and  48^,  taking  care  as  you  increase  your  latitude  to 
make  easting  in  proportion,  and  on  the  contrary  as  you 
make  southing,  to  increase  your  westing,  either  to  the 
eastward  or  westward  of  the  Western  Islands,  likewise  as 
may  be  thought  most  eligible  ;  and  should  you  take  any 
prize  or  prizes  of  the  aforesaid  value,  you  are  to  act  accord- 
ingly, and  take  or  send  them  for  the  North  or  South 
Channel  as  circumstances  may  offer,  and  shoud  you  loose 
company  with  any  prize  or  prizes  when  conducting  them,  you 
are  then  to  regain  your  station  with  all  convenient  speed,  and 
let  them  take  their  chance,  and  for  fear  such  an  accident  may 
happen,  be  sure  to  give  such  orders  to  the  prize-master,  and 
put  people  and  necessarys  on  board  as  may  best  insure  safety. 

"  You  are  strictly  order'd  not  to  meddle  with  any  neutral 
vessel  whatever  unless  you  are  certain  by  her  papers  or 


THE  ANCIENT  MARINER.  23 

other  indisputable  information  (freely  given  without  bribery, 
promised  gratuities,  or  Force)  that  she  has  taken  in  her 
loading  in  North  America,  therefore  you  are  not  to  pay  any 
regard  to  the  Giddy  solicitations  of  your  Crew,  so  as  to  be 
misled  by  them,  but  act  upon  your  own  Reason,  and  for 
that  purpose  we  desire  you  will  read  your  printed  Instruc- 
tions from  the  Admiralty,  given  with  your  Commissions, 
with  the  utmost  attention,  and  you  cannot  err. 

"In  case  of  your  taking  a  prize,  let  every  Paper,  Letter, 
etc.,  be  immediately  secured  and  sent  home  with  her,  all 
Money  and  Valuables  that  can  be  easily  removed  to  be 
taken  on  board  your  ship,  and  on  you  or  your  prize 
arrival  at  any  port  in  Ireland,  let  an  express  be  sent  imme- 
diately with  a  Letter  to  Mr.  Fras.  Ingram  to  the  first  post 
Town,  by  a  carefull  hand,  and  repeated  a  post  or  two  after 
for  fear  of  Miscarriage,  and  the  greatest  care  taken  not  to 
break  Bulk,  as  the  lower  class  of  people  in  Ireland  make 
use  of  every  scheme  to  mislead  and  defraud. 

"  We  order  that  upon  any  capture  being  made  that  your 
Lieutenant,  with  two  trusty  officers,  do,  as  soon  as  possible, 
examine  the  Trunks,  Chests,  etc.,  of  the  officers,  passengers, 
and  crew,  and  that  they  take  from  them  all  Letters,  Invoices, 
Papers,  etc.,  and  other  valuables,  delivering  them  to  you, 
with  a  particular  account  of  the  same,  signed  by  them  in 
order  to  obviate  any  jealousy  or  misunderstandings.  You 
will  likewise  examine  the  prisoners  separately  with  great 
attention  touching  the  destination  of  any  ship  or  ships  they 
may  have  been  in  company  with,  or  of  the  destination  of 
any  vessel  within  their  knowledge,  and  likewise  gain  all 
the  information  as  to  the  Destination  of  Fleets,  etc.,  and  if 
anything  of  consequence  as  to  national  matters  be  obtained, 
communicate  it  to  the  first  King's  ship  you  meet,  taking 
care  at  all  times  to  compare  the  different  Informations,  so 
that  you  may  not  be  deceived,  to  do  which  you  may  be 
assured  every  artifice  will  be  used. 


24  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

"  We  particularly  recommend  that  the  prisoners  be  not 
plundered  of  their  Cloths  and  Bedding,  but  that  they  may 
be  used  with  all  tenderness  and  Humanity  consistent  with 
your  own  safety,  which  must  be  strictly  attended  to  ;  and 
as  true  Courage  and  Humanity  are  held  to  be  inseparable, 
we  hope  your  crew  will  not  be  wanting  in  doing  that 
Honour  to  their  Country,  the  contrary  of  which  is  disgrace- 
full  to  a  civilized  nation. 

"You  will  take  particular  care  that  your  crew  be  treated 
humanely,  that  every  one  be  made  to  do  their  duty  with 
Good  Temper  ;  as  Harmony,  a  good  look-out,  and  steady 
attention  to  the  main  point  are  all  absolutely  necessary  to 
be  attended  to,  the  success  of  the  Cruise  greatly  Depending 
upon  it. 

"  Herewith  you  have  sundry  letters  of  credit,  and  shoud 
you  have  occasion  to  draw  upon  London,  you  must  draw 
upon  Messrs.  Jos.  Denison  &  Co. 

"In  case  of  your  Death,  which  God  forbid,  your  first 
Lieutenant  is  to  succeed  you  in  the  command,  and  so  in 
succession,  and  to  follow  these  orders.  Wishing  you  a 
successfull  cruise, 

"  We  remain, 

"Your  assured  Friends, 

"F.  INGRAM  &  CO. 

"  Messrs.  HORN  &  SILL,  Lisbon. 

"  Messrs.  PEDDAK  &  Co.,  Cork. 

"Messrs.  SCOTT,  PRINGLE  &  SCOTT,  Madeira." 

"  LIVERPOOL,  13^  Septr,  1779. 
"  MESSRS.  SCOTT,  PRIXGLE  AND  SCOTT, 

"GENTLEMEN, — In  case  Captain  Haslam  of  the  Enterprise 
Privateer  shoud  put  into  Madeira,  you  will  please  to  supply 
him  with  what  necessaries  he  may  want,  and  for  the  amount 


THE  ANCIENT  MARINER.  25 

of  which  you  are  to  value  upon  Messrs.  Joseph  Denison  &  Co. , 
London. — I  am  Gent" 

"  Your  most  obd.  Servt. 

"  FRA.   INGRAM,  FOR  SELF  &  Co." 

"  Copys  of  the  above  wrote  to 

"MESSRS.  JNO.  PEDDER  &  Co.,]      [ 

"Copied   the   above   12 
Cork.  ,     . 

June,  1780,  and  given 
"  MESSRS.  HORN  &  SILL, 

to  Captn.  Haslam. 
Lisbon.  J       ^ 

On  the  22nd  of  October,  1779,  the  Enterprise  returned  to 
Liverpool,  bringing  in  with  her  a  valuable  prize  called 
L? Aventurier,  of  22  guns  and  50  men,  bound  from  Martinico 
to  Bordeaux  with  a  cargo  of  cotton,  tobacco,  sugar,  coffee, 
cocoa,  and  cassia  fistula.  There  appears  to  have  been  some 
insubordination  on  board  the  privateer,  and  from  the  tenor 
of  the  following  letter,  we  gather  that  the  owners  were  not 
altogether  satisfied  with  the  commander. 

' '  LIVERPOOL,  1 7  Nov. ,  1 779. 
"CAP:  HASLAM, 

"  SIR, — It  is  our  positive  orders  that  in  case  of  your  taking 
another  prize,  that  you  do  not  return  to  Liverpool  on  any  account 
or  pretence,  but  that  on  your  taking  a  capital  prize  of  not  [less] 
than  ten  thousand  pounds,  you  are  to  convoy  her  into  the  first 
port  in  Great  Britain  or  Ireland.  And  further,  you  are 
expressly  ordered  to  continue  your  cruise  for  five  months  from 
your  departure  now  from  the  Rock,  as  by  the  Custom  of  the 
Port  the  detention  in  the  River  is  not  included  in  the  time 
allowed  for  the  cruize.  We  depend  on  the  conduct  of  you  and 
your  officers  to  carry  a  proper  command  on  board  the  vessel 
and  to  prevent  any  Disobedience  or  further  attempts  to  Mutiny. 

"We  remain,  &c., 

"FRAS   INGRAM  &  COMY." 

At  the  commencement  of  the  second  cruise  the  muster 
roll  had  dwindled  to  88,  notwithstanding  the  introduction  of 


26  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

new  blood,  and  the  amount  advanced  for  wages  was  only 
^"63  45. 

On  the  I5th  of  June,  1780,  Messrs.  Francis  Ingram  and 
Co.  handed  to  Captain  Haslam  the  following  orders,  which, 
in  point  of  dignity,  clearness,  and  shrewdness,  are  surely 
not  unworthy  of  a  fine  old  British  merchant,  one  of  the 
olden  time  :— 

"  CAPTAIN  HASLAM, 

"  SIR, — Our  ship  Enterprise^  of  which  you  are  at 
present  commander,  being  compleatly  equipped  and 
Manned  for  a  six-months  cruise,  you  are  by  the  first  favour- 
able oppertunity  to  sail  from  hence  and  make  the  best  of 
your  way  for  the  latitude  of  Belleisle,  and  run  down  that 
paralel  until  you  make  it,  as  it  is  the  place  where  all 
vessels  bound  for  Nantz  and  Bordeaux  take  in  their  Pilots. 
You  are  to  remain  in  that  station  one  or  two  weeks,  stand- 
ing off  and  on  in  such  direction  and  at  such  distance  as  you 
may  think  proper.  If  no  success  in  that  time,  you  are  to 
stand  across  the  Bay  under  an  easy  sail,  making  free  with 
the  land  (if  the  wind  and  weather  will  permit),  so  as  to  fall 
in  with  the  Spanish  coast  about  Bilboa,  and  from  thence 
coast  it  up  by  slow  movements  to  Cape  Finisterre,  and  when 
there  stand  off  N.N.W.  by  the  Compas  about  40  or  50 
Leagues  Distance,  and  so  in  again  S.S.E.,  spending  two  or 
three  weeks  in  that  manner,  as  it  seems  to  be  an  Eligible 
track  to  catch  both  outward  and  homeward-bound  French 
and  Spaniards. 

"  If  no  success,  range  back  again  towards  Bilboa,  and  from 
thence  cross  over  for  the  mouth  of  the  River  of  Bordeaux, 
taking  all  prudent  libertys  with  the  French  and  Spanish 
coasts  and  so  on  to  the  Island  of  Belleisle.  This  method  we 
woud  have  you  to  pursue  for  the  first  three  months,  and  if 
no  material  success  in  that  time  we  suppose  your  water  will 
be  nearly  expended,  and  in  that  case  you  are  to  proceed  to 
the  Western  Islands  and  do  the  needfull  there  with  all 


THE  ANCIENT  MARINER.  27 

Expedition,  and  as  no  profit  accrues  to  a  vessel  lying  long 
in  Harbour,  you  are  to  proceed  from  thence  to  Cape 
Finisterre  and  finish  your  cruise  between  that  and  the 
latitude  of  Ushant,  as  far  to  the  westward  as  you  may  think 
prudent,  and  no  more,  as  the  odds  is  considerably  against 
rambling  in  the  wide  ocean,  whereas  Headlands  and  Islands 
usually  run  down  by  vessels  are  the  surest  places  to  find 
prizes. 

"Notwithstanding  the  particular  directions  we  have  given 
above,  we  woud  have  it  perfectly  understood  that  the 
Execution  of  them  as  to  Winds  and  Weather  is  left  entirely 
to  the  good  conduct  of  yourself  and  the  officers  (you  are 
desired  to  consult).  Upon  all  matters  of  consequence  we 
wish  you  to  consult  with  Mr.  Cotter  and  him  only,  and  to 
follow  your  joint  opinions,  and  as  your  ship  is  a  prime 
sailer  you  may  make  free  with  the  enemy's  coast  without 
danger,  shewing  at  all  times  a  true  british  spirit  to  your 
Crew,  with  whom  we  hope  you  will  cultivate  the  greatest 
Harmony  and  treat  them  with  the  greatest  tenderness  and 
Humanity,  at  the  same  time  preserving  the  most  strict 
discipline  and  command. 

"  You  must  by  no  means  detain  any  Dutch  or  neutral 
ship  unless  bound  from  an  Enemy's  port  to  an  Enemy's  port 
with  French,  Spanish,  or  America  property  on  board,  and 
that  to  appear  by  their  regular  papers  and  not  from  any 
hearsay  Information  from  the  crews,  as  great  Expences 
have  been  incurred  by  such  imprudence.  But  shoud  it 
appear  by  a  clear  examination  of  the  Papers  as  aforesaid 
that  the  Goods  on  board  are  the  property  of  an  Enemy,  you 
are  to  make  a  prize  of  them,  in  which  momentous  business 
take  every  precaution  not  to  be  misled  or  overawed  by  the 
Impropriety  [importunity?]  of  your  crew.  You  are  particu- 
larly to  observe  that  by  an  Act  of  Parliament  passed  lately 
the  cargoes  of  any  neutral  ships  bound  from  the  Islands  of 
Grenada,  St.  Vincents,  and  Dominica  to  a  neutral  port, 


28  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

having  certificates  on  board  signed  by  two  English 
merchants  or  planters  residing  there,  signifying  that  the 
entire  cargoe  is  the  produce  of  that  island  and  was  taken  on 
board  there,  are  exempted  from  capture  and  therefore  are 
not  to  be  molested. 

"  If  you  take  a  prize  or  prizes  to  the  value  of  ten  thousand 
pounds  or  upwards,  put  Mr.  Cotter  in  command  and  see  her 
safe  into  Milford,  Cork,  or  Kinsale,  as  the  winds  and 
weather  may  be,  and  when  there  put  some  other  trusty 
officer  on  board  instead  of  Mr.  Cotter,  who  is  then  to  return 
to  his  station  in  the  Enterprise.  Give  notice  to  us  of  the 
arrival  of  such  prize  immediately  by  Post,  and  order  that 
letter  may  be  repeated  three  or  four  times  afterwards  the 
following  days,  adding  any  new  matter  that  may  occur  in 
the  intervals.  On  such  return  into  port  keep  a  strict 
command  over  your  people,  and  proceed  again  with  all 
possible  dispatch  upon  your  cruise,  as  heavy  Wages, 
Provisions,  and  Premiums  of  Insurances  are  constantly 
going  on. 

"Shoud  you  take  a  vessel  belonging  to  a  scattered  Fleet, 
we  direct  you  to  pursue  them  or  continue  your  Cruize  for 
the  stragling  ships  so  long  as  you  have  a  man  to  board 
with.  If  the  prizes  you  may  take  are  of  less  value  than 
ten  thousand  pounds,  dispatch  them  with  a  trusty  officer, 
taking  care  not  to  put  too  many  of  the  enemy  in  proportion 
to  your  own  men  on  board,  giving  directions  for  his  pro- 
ceeding as  aforesaid,  with  caution  not  to  trust  many  of  his 
people  aloft  at  a  time  on  any  account  whatever. 

"  Upon  taking  a  prize,  secure  all  the  papers  immediately 
and  remove  all  valuables,  as  money,  etc.,  into  your  own 
ship,  or  let  them  remain  on  board  the  prize  as  you  may 
think  proper.  Mr.  Cotter  and  two  other  officers  to  examine 
the  Trunks  of  the  Officers,  Passengers,  etc.,  and  direct  them 
to  deliver  all  papers  found  therein  to  you  with  a  particular 
acct.  signed  by  them  of  any  Money  or  valuables  which  must 


THE  ANCIENT  MARINER.  29 

be  delivered  to  you  for  safety.  Examine  the  prisoners 
separately,  with  great  attention  as  to  the  destination  of  any 
ship,  ships  or  Fleets  they  may  have  been  in  company  with, 
or  of  which  they  have  knowledge,  and  compare  their  informa- 
tions to  prevent  you  from  being  deceived  by  false  intelligence. 

"We  desire  you  to  be  carefull  to  prevent  the  prisoners 
from  being  plunder'd  of  any  article  whatever,  to  prevent 
any  insult  to  the  meanest  of  them,  that  you  treat  them  with 
Humanity  and  all  the  Tenderness  that  is  consistent  with  the 
Security  of  your  ship,  or  your  prizes,  which  must  be  strictly 
attended  to. 

-"  Keep  a  good  look-out  on  all  occasions,  and  make  short 
work  of  any  action  you  have  by  runing  close  alongside 
before  you  open  your  fire,  for  depend  upon  this  that  by 
engageing  them  very  close  the  officers  opposed  to  you  will 
be  unable  to  keep  their  Men  to  their  Guns.  Improve  this 
advantage  therefore  to  the  utmost,  which  the  Discipline  on 
board  your  ship,  and  the  courage  of  your  people,  will 
indisputably  give  you. 

"If  you  fall  in  with  any  British  man-of-war  and  the 
Captain  attempts  to  impress  any  of  your  people,  represent 
to  them  respectfully  the  injury  you  and  We  sustained  by 
Cap.  Phipps  interrupting  you  last  cruise,  and  produce  the 
Memorial  to  the  Admiralty  and  Mr.  Gascoyn's  letter  upon 
that  subject,  which  will  certainly  prevent  any  worthy  british 
officer  from  Empressing  any  of  your  people  a  second  time  at 
sea. 

"  Herewith  you  have  Sundry  Letters  of  Credit,  and  in  case 
of  your  death  (which  God  forbid)  your  first  Lieutenant  is  to 
succeed  you  in  Command,  and  so  on  in  succession,  and  to 
follow  these  orders. 

"  To  Conclude,  this  is  the  last  cruize  the  ship  is  to  make 
as  a  privateer,  and  our  motives  for  fitting  her  on  this  cruise 
have  been  a  dependance  on  her  sailing,  with  a  Confidance 
in  your  making  the  most  of  that  advantage,  and  of  the 


30  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

stations  we  have  pointed  out  for  your  cruise,  in  which  you 
will  be  well  supported  hy  Mr.  Cotter.  As  it  is  the  last 
cruise,  make  the  most  of  it,  and  be  assured  of  this,  that  you 
and  Mr.  Cotter  in  Consequence  of  such  Conduct,  will  meet 
with  every  degree  of  regard,  favor,  and  attention  to  your 
future  Interests  from  us,  Who  are  very  truly 

"  Your  assur'd  friends, 

"  FRAS   INGRAM  &  C°" 

"To  Hoist  a  White  Flag-  at  the  main  top  Gallant  mast 
Head — wch  Richd-  Wilding-  will  answer  on  his  own  Pole  to 
the  southward  of  the  Lighthouse. 

"  CAPT.   HASLAM. 

"On  your  coming-  in  (or  a  prize)  you  are  to  make  the 
above  signal,  wch  will  be  answered  by  Richd-  Willding.  Success 
attend  you. 

"FRAS    INGRAM." 

The  gallant  commander  would  doubtless  read  the  follow- 
ing considerate  note  with  mixed  feelings  :— 

"  LIVERPOOL,   ^th  June,    1780. 
"CAPT.   HASLAM. 

"  SIR, — In  case  you  shoud  be  so  unfortunate  as  to  be 
taken,  the  owners  have  agreed  to  allow  you  six  pounds  a 
month  during-  your  captivity. 

"  I  am  sir  your  most  Hume  Servrt 

"FRAS   INGRAM  &  C°" 

Owing  to  their  manner  of  life  and  reckless  habits, 
captivity,  and  especially  captivity  in  a  French  prison, 
meant  certain  death  to  hundreds  of  seamen.  Perhaps 
none  fought  more  desperately  during  the  war  than  those 
men  who  had  once  experienced  the  horrors  of  a  French 
gaol.  The  next  and  last  document  with  which  we  shall 
trouble  the  reader,  in  connection  with  this  ship,  runs  as 
follows  : — 


THE  ANCIENT  MARINER.  31 

' '  LIVERPOOL,    1 2th  June,    1 780. 

"To  ANY  OF  His  MAJESTY'S  CONSULS, 

"SiR, — In  case  the  Enterprise  Privateer,  Capt.  Haslam, 
shoud  put  into  Port  for  Provisions,  &c. ,  &c. ,  must  beg  the 
favor  you  woud  supply  him  with  what  he  may  want  to  the 
amount  of  Five  Hundred  pounds  and  your  Bill  shall  be 
punctually  honored  for  the  amount.  We  are,  &c. , 

"  FRA.   INGRAM  &  C°"* 

On  her  third  cruise  the  Enterprise  carried  105  men. 
Her  surgeon  on  the  first  cruise  was  Henry  Barr  ;  on  the 
third  cruise,  Edward  Lowndes.  It  is  worthy  of  note  that 
after  the  lapse  of  more  than  a  century  the  names  of  Barr  and 
Lowndes  are  honourably  represented  in  the  medical  pro- 
fession in  Liverpool ;  but  we  are  not  aware  that  there  is  any 
connection  between  the  surgeons  of  old  Liverpool  and  those 
of  greater  Liverpool.  In  this  final  cruise  the  commander, 
officers,  and  men  appear  to  have  been  shareholders,  Captain 
Haslam  having  16  shares,  first  lieutenant  8,  second  lieu- 
tenant, sailing  master,  surgeon,  and  carpenter  6  each,  petty 
officers  in  proportion,  seamen  2  shares  each,  "three-quarter" 
seamen  i^  shares  each,  and  so  on  down  to  the  boys,  each 
of  whom  had  half  a  share.  The  total  number  of  shares  thus 
allotted  was  212.  The  second  lieutenant,  sailing  master, 
surgeon,  gunner,  and  boatswain  received  ^4  ics.  per  month 
wages;  the  carpenter,  ^£5  per  month;  four  sailing  mates, 
,£4  55.  each  ;  boatswain's  mates,  ^4  each  ;  quartermasters 
and  the  gunner's  mate,  75s.;  surgeon's  mate,  cooper,  cook, 
steward,  armourer,  and  full  seamen,  705.  per  month;  "three- 
quarter  "  and  "half"  seamen  from  405.  10655.;  landsmen 
from  2os.  to  465.  per  month. 


*From  the  original  account  books  in  the  possession  of  T.  H.  Dixon,  Esq.,  The 
Clappers,  Gresford,  and  kindly  lent  by  him  to  the  author.  The  penmanship  of 
the  above  instructions,  and  of  the  accounts,  is  remarkably  neat,  but  the  ortho- 
graphy, as  the  reader  sees,  is  conceived  on  a  free  and  easy  scale  in  keeping  w  ith 
the  subject  and  the  times. 


32 


CHAPTER    II. 

THE  STORY  OF  CAPTAIN  FORTUNATUS  WRIGHT  AND 
SELIM   THE   ARMENIAN   CAPTIVE. 

THE  "  Spacious  days  of  great  Elizabeth  "  were  the  golden 
age  of  privateering,  in  the  sense  that  the  profession  was 
carried  on  by  men  cast  in  the  heroic  mould,  who  disdained 
to  draw  too  nice  a  distinction  between  privateering  and 
piracy.  Elizabeth  was  the  sailor's  friend,  "the  restorer  of 
the  glory  of  shipping,  and  the  Queen  of  the  North  Sea." 
Camden  tells  us  that  "the  wealthier  inhabitants  of  the  sea- 
coast,  in  imitation  of  their  princess,  built  ships  of  war, 
striving  who  should  exceed,  insomuch  that  the  Queen's 
navy,  joined  with  her  subjects'  shipping,  was,  in  short  time, 
so  puissant  that  it  was  able  to  bring  forth  20,000  fighting 
men  for  sea  service."  The  ships  so  benevolently  provided 
by  the  wealthier  inhabitants  of  the  sea  coast  were,  of  course, 
privateers,  but  Liverpool  was  at  that  time  too  insignificant 
and  poor  a  place  to  indulge  in  the  romantic  and  fashionable 
patriotism  of  the  age. 

It  is  in  this  reign  we  find  privateering  first  mentioned  in 
connection  with  Liverpool.  In  1563  a  privateer,  fitted 
out  by  Sir  Thomas  Stanley,  of  Hooton,  son  of  the  Earl 
of  Derby,  brought  a  prize  into  the  river  Mersey  "with 
great  rejoicings."  Another  privateer,  fitted  out  by  the 
licensed  victuallers  of  Chester,  brought  in  a  French  prize, 
whereupon  the  "  shipping  shot  off  so  noble  a  peal  of  guns, 
so  quick  and  fast  one  upon  another,  that  the  like  was  never 
heard  in  these  parts  of  England  and  Wales."  In  the  year 
1566  two  prizes  arrived,  one  of  which  was  subsequently 
ransomed.  It  is  now  impossible  to  say  when  the  first 


CAPTAIN  FORTUNATUS  WRIGHT.  33 

private  armed  ship  left  the  port  of  Liverpool,  but  as  the 
Tower  in  Water  Street  was  for  many  ages  the  seaside 
residence  and  place  of  embarkation  of  the  Derby  family,  it 
is  probable  that  their  ships,  armed,  of  course,  against 
corsairs,  or  for  naval  warfare,  were  among  the  earliest  that 
set  out.  The  ships  of  the  Stanleys,  in  fact,  are  mentioned 
in  our  old  poetry.  In  the  ballad  of  "Lady  Bessie"  Lord 
Stanley  promises  Elizabeth  of  York  to  send  her  messenger 
Humphrey  Brereton,  to  Henry  VII. 

"  I  have  a  gude  shippe  of  mine  owne 

Shall  carry  Humfrey  ; 
If  any  man  aske  whoes  is  the  shippe  ? 

Saye  it  is  the  Earle's  of  Derbye. 
Without  all  doubt  at  Liverpoole 
He  tooke  shipping  upon  the  sea." 

Nearly  five  hundred  years  have  flown  since  Isabel  of 
Lathom  gave  her  hand — and,  let  us  hope,  her  heart — to  the 
gallant  Sir  John  Stanley,  who  received  from  his  father- 
in-law  the  site  upon  which  he  erected  the  Tower  in 
Water  Street.  The  close  connection  thus  begun  between 
the  Stanleys  and  the  citizens  of  Liverpool  has  grown  and 
strengthened  with  the  years,  and  while  these  lines  are  being 
penned,  the  sixteenth  Earl  of  Derby  sits  in  his  official 
residence  as  Lord  Mayor  of  Greater  Liverpool,  within 
bow-shot  of  the  site  of  the  ancient  fortress  and  town  house  of 
his  ancestors.  Though  he  may  not  possess  "a  gude  shippe" 
of  his  own  to  carry  Humfrey,  he  has  but  to  telephone  down 
the  street  to  the' neighbourhood  of  the  Tower,  and  floating 
palaces,  surpassing  in  splendour  the  happiest  dreams  of 
"Lady  Bessie,"  will  be  placed  at  his  disposal — for  a 
consideration — to  take  shipping  upon  the  sea. 

About  the  time  of  the  sailing  of  the  Spanish  Armada,  the 
Town  Council  providentially  laid  in  300  pounds  of  gun- 
powder, and  ordered  "a  gun"  to  be  set  up  at  Nabbe 

c 


34  777^  LIVERPOOL  PRIVA  TEERS 

(afterwards  Pluckington)  Point,  above  the  pool.  It  was 
the  good  fortune  of  a  Liverpool  captain  and  shipowner,  how- 
ever, to  render  a  more  important  service  to  his  Queen  and 
country  at  that  exciting  time.  Worthy  Master  Humfraye 
Brooke  brought  to  England  the  first  intelligence  of  the 
Armada  being  at  sea.  He  was  outward  bound  from 
Liverpool  to  the  Canaries  when  he  espied  the  Biscayan 
division  of  the  Spanish  fleet  in  the  distance,  sailing  north. 
Suspecting  its  errand,  he  put  ship  about  and  made  all  haste 
to  Plymouth,  whence  he  despatched  couriers,  or  perhaps 
went  himself,  to  London.  He  received  substantial  marks 
of  favour  from  the  Government  for  his  foresight,  prudence, 
and  activity.  Liverpool  was  not  then  able  to  add  much  to 
the  fleet  of  upwards  of  a  hundred  merchantmen,  which 
joined  the  twenty  ships  of  the  Royal  Navy  and  took  so 
distinguished  a  part  in  baffling,  defeating,  and  dispersing 
the  "invincible"  Armada. 

In  1634  tne  memorable  levy  of  ship  money  took  place. 
The  whole  county  was  assessed  at  the  sum  of  ^475,  of 
which  Liverpool  was  required  to  pay  ^15,  raised  in  the 
following  year  to  ^25.  During  the  Civil  War,  the  Tower 
in  Water  Street  was  garrisoned  by  the  retainers  of  Lord 
Derby,  the  castle  being  held  by  Lord  Molyneux.  We 
cannot  linger  over  this  period  of  Liverpool  history  in  which 
the  fiery  Prince  Rupert  found  that  the  men  of  Liverpool 
were  foemen  worthy  of  his  steel,  for  the  "crow's  nest" 
which  he  despised  was  not  taken  without  an  incessant 
cannonade  carried  on  for  eighteen  days,  and  numerous 
assaults,  in  which  he  lost  1,500  men.  It  is  sufficient  for 
our  present  purpose  to  observe  that  the  capture  of  the  town 
by  the  Parliamentary  forces  was  a  serious  blow  to  the  royal 
cause,  as  it  gave  Parliament  and  its  partisans  the  power  of 
fitting  out  vessels  of  war  in  the  Mersey,  and  of  thus 
interrupting  the  communications  with  Ireland,  whence  the 
Lord-lieutenant  of  the  King,  the  Marquis  of  Ormonde,  was 


CAPTAIN  FORTUNATUS  WRIGHT.  35 

preparing  to  send  supplies  and  reinforcements  to  the  Royal 
party.  Several  frigates,  or  small  vessels,  were  fitted  out 
at  Liverpool — one  of  them  by  Colonel  John  Moore.  A 
number  of  Liverpool  frigates,  under  the  command  of 
Captain  Banks,  cruised  in  the  Irish  Channel,  sometimes 
blockading  Dublin,  and  cutting  off  the  supplies  of  provi- 
sions, coal,  and  other  necessaries,  which  that  city  previously 
obtained  from  England.  The  cruisers  also  added  much  to 
the  difficulty  of  sending  over  reinforcements  to  England. 
So  great  was  the  inconvenience  produced  by  the  Liverpool 
Squadron  that  the  Marquis  of  Ormonde  strongly  urged  the 
royalists  in  Chester  to  attack  Liverpool  by  sea. 

The  Marquis,  writing  to  Lord  Byron,  January  16,  1643, 
says  :  "  When  they  (the  Royal  fleet)  are  gone,  it  is  too 
probable  the  Liverpool  ships  will  look  out  again,  if  that  town 
be  not  in  the  meantime  reduced,  which  I  most  earnestly 
recommend  your  lordship  to  think  of  and  attempt  as 
soon  as  you  possibly  can,  there  being  no  service  that,  to  my 
apprehension,  can  at  once  so  much  advantage  this  place 
(Dublin)  and  Chester,  and  make  them  so  useful  to  each 
other." 

The  merchants  of  Liverpool  have  always  been  a  shrewd, 
far-seeing  race,  and  an  instance  of  their  readiness  to  make 
the  most  of  their  opportunities  turns  up  in  an  unexpected 
quarter.  In  the  recently  published  Kenyon  MSS.  we 
find,  under  date  1702,  "Reasons  humbly  offered  by  Henry 
Jones,  Esquire,  for  building  a  mould  or  harbour  in  Whit- 
sand  Bay,  at  the  Land's  End,  in  Cornwall."  The  tenth 
reason  adduced  is  as  follows  : 

"  By  all  the  above  it  is  likewise  further  manifest  that 
even  in  times  of  peace  there  hath  not  nor  can  be  secure 
trading  'twixt  St.  George's  and  the  British  Channels,  or 
anywhere  to  the  westward  of  the  Land's  End,  without  this 
proposed  mould,  and  that  for  want  of  it  there  hath  been 
and  may  be  more  ships  lost  (yearly,  besides  the  men's  lives) 


3G  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

than  three  times  the  value  of  what  would  erect  the  same. 
Hence,  the  Leverpoole  merchants,  during  all  the  last  war, 
possessed  those  who  trade  from  London  that  their  ships 
might  come  safer  north  about  Ireland,  unload  their  effects  at 
Leverpoole,  and  be  at  charge  of  land-carriage  from  thence 
to  London,  rather  than  run  the  hazard  of  having  their  ships 
taken  by  the  enemy,  or  wreckt,  by  reason  of  the  great 
dangers  of  Scilly,  the  Land's  End,  Mount's  Bay,  Lizzard, 
and  all  the  South  Channell  to  London,  which  hath  proved 
an  unspeakable  detriment  to  all  the  trading  seaport  towns 
that  border  upon  the  British  Channell  ;  which  evills  would 
effectually  be  prevented  were  there  an  harbour  and  light- 
house at  the  Land's  End  of  England." 

In  the  reign  of  George  II.  Liverpool  ships,  in  common 
with  those  belonging  to  other  British  seaports,  were  plun- 
dered, and  their  crews  maltreated  by  the  Spanish  Guarda 
Costas,  whose  depredations,  carried  on  with  impunity  for 
several  years,  aroused  at  length  the  indignation  of  the 
whole  country.  In  1728,  while  the  fate  of  Europe  continued 
in  suspense,  while  the  English  fleet  lay  inactive  and  rotting 
in  the  West  Indies,  the  sailors  perishing  miserably  without 
daring  to  avenge  their  country's  wrongs,  the  merchants  of 
Liverpool,  London,  Bristol,  and  other  places  petitioned  the 
House  of  Commons  for  redress.  The  House  instituted 
inquiries,  and  passed  resolutions  accusing  the  Spaniards 
of  violating  the  treaty  between  the  two  crowns,  and  with 
having  treated  with  inhumanity  the  masters  and  crews  of 
British  ships.  The  King,  in  reply  to  the  address  of  the 
Commons,  promised  to  procure  satisfaction.  The  outrages 
went  on  and  grew  in  number  and  daring  until,  in  1737* 
the  whole  nation  cried  for  vengeance,  and  petitions  from 
merchants  in  all  parts  of  the  country  poured  into  the  House 
of  Commons,  which,  at  length,  in  Grand  Committee,  pro- 
ceeded to  hear  counsel  for  the  merchants,  and  examine 
evidence,  by  which  it  appeared  that  amazing  acts  of  wanton 


CAPTAIN  FORTUNATUS  WRIGHT.  37 

cruelty  and  injustice  had  been  perpetrated  by  Spaniards  on 
the  subjects  of  Great  Britain.  In  the  following  year  the 
King  informed  Parliament  that  a  Convention  with  Spain 
had  been  ratified.  When  the  terms  of  the  Convention 
became  known,  many  merchants,  planters,  and  others 
trading  to  America,  the  cities  of  London  and  Bristol,  the 
merchants  of  Liverpool,  and  the  owners  of  ships  which 
had  been  seized  by  the  Spaniards  presented  petitions 
against  it.  In  a  great  debate  in  the  Commons,  Mr.  Pitt 
denounced  the  Convention  as  dishonourable  to  Great 
Britain,  but,  in  spite  of  strong  opposition,  the  Convention 
received  the  approval  of  both  houses.  In  1739,  Spain, 
having  failed  to  pay  the  money  stipulated  in  the  Convention 
as  compensation  to  those  who  had  suffered  by  the  depreda- 
tions, letters  of  marque  and  reprisal  were  granted  against 
the  Spaniards.  The  British  Minister  at  Madrid  politely 
explained  to  the  Court  of  Spain  that  his  master,  although 
he  had  permitted  his  subjects  to  make  reprisals,  would  not 
be  understood  to  have  broken  the  peace,  and  that  this  per- 
mission would  be  recalled  as  soon  as  his  Catholic  Majesty 
should  be  disposed  to  make  satisfaction.  The  King  of 
Spain  failed  to  appreciate  the  nicety  of  the  distinction  per- 
ceived by  the  British  monarch,  and  proceeded  to  defend 
himself  by  vigorous  words  and  actions.  A  declaration  of 
war  on  both  sides  soon  followed,  and  in  1744  France 
declared  war  against  England.  Referring  to  this  period, 
the  author  of  "  Williamson's  Liverpool  Memorandum 
Book,"  published  in  1753,  advanced  the  remarkable  theory 
that  the  town  flourished  more  in  war  than  in  peace. 

"In  the  last  war,  1739  to  1748,"  he  says,  "trade  flourished 
and  spread  her  golden  wing's  so  extensively  that,  if  they  had 
possessed  it  seven  years  longer,  it  would  have  enlarged  the  size 
and  riches  of  the  town  to  a  prodigious  degree.  The  harbour 
being  situated  so  near  the  mouth  of  the  North  Channel, 
between  Ireland  and  Scotland  (a  passage  very  little  known  to 


38 


THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVA  TEERS. 


or  frequented  by  the  enemy)   afforded   many  conveniences  to 
the  merchants   here,  untasted  by  those  of  other  ports,  which 
invited  numbers   of  strangers   from    different  parts  to  beg-in 
trade  and   settle  here,    finding  it   so    advantageous   a   mart. 
Trade  since  the  late  peace  has  not  been  so  brisk  as  formerly, 
but    it    appears   by    the    Custom    House    books    to  be  much 
revived.      The  chief  manufactures  carried  on  here  are  blue  and 
white   earthenware,   which  at  present  almost  vie  with  China 
(large  quantities  are  exported  for  the    Colonies  abroad),  and 
watches,  which  are  not  to  be  excelled  in   Europe.      All  the 
different  branches  are  manufactured  in  and  about  the  town,  to 
supply  the  London  and  foreign  markets." 
It  is  true  that  in   this  war  the  commerce  of  Liverpool 
suffered  much  less  than  that  of  London,  Bristol,  and  Hull 
from  the  privateers  of  the  enemy,  but  the  prosperity  had  prob- 
ably more  to  do  with  black  than  golden  wings,  the  number 
of  slave  ships  having  grown  from  one  vessel  of  30  tons  in 
1709,  to  72  ships  of  7547  tons  in  1753.     The  progress  made 
during  the  first  half  of  the  eighteenth  century,  long  before 
cotton  had  been  added  to  tobacco,  sugar,  rum,  and  slaves, 
as  the  commercial  deities  of  Liverpool,  will  be  seen  from 
the  following  tables  : 

A  comparative  statement  of  the  number  of  ships  that 
arrived  at,  or  sailed  from  the  Port  of  Liverpool  for  six  years 
preceding  the  year  1751  : 


The  number  of  ships  that  arrived  at,  or  sailed 
from  the  Port  of  Liverpool  for  six  years. 

Ships  belonging  to  the  Port 
for  the  same  time. 

Inwards. 

Outwards. 

Years. 

Ships. 

Tons. 

Ships. 

Tons. 

Ships. 

Tons. 

Men. 

1709 
1716 
1723 
1730 
1737 
1744 

374 
370 

4.13 
412 
402 
403 

14,574 
17,870 
18,840 
18,070 

17,493 
22,072 

334 
409 

390 

440 

435 

425 

12.636 

18,872 

18,373 
19,058 
22,350 
20,937 

84 
"3 
131 
1  66 

171 
1  88 

5,789 
8,386 
8,070 
9,766 
12,016 
13,772 

936 
1,370 
1.  114 
IJIO 
1,981 
2,621 

CAPTAIN  FORTUNATUS  WRIGHT.  39 

In  1749  the  total  tonnage  of  vessels  that  entered  the  port 
was  28,250  tons.  In  1751  the  number  of  ships  that  entered 
was  543,  with  a  tonnage  of  31,731.  For  the  next  hundred 
years  Liverpool  went  on  steadily,  doubling  her  trade  about 
every  sixteen  years. 

In  the  year  1744,  Liverpool  appears  to  have  possessed 
four  privateers,  namely,  the  Old  Noll,  of  22  guns  and  180 
men,  Captain  Powell  ;  the  Terrible,  of  22  guns  and  180 
men,  Captain  Cole  ;  the  Thurloe,  of  12  guns  and  100  men, 
Captain  Dugdale  ;  and  the  Admiral  Blake,  whose  arma- 
ment is  not  stated,  commanded  by  Captain  Edmondson. 
The  Terrible  recaptured,  and  sent  into  Waterford,  the 
Joseph,  of  Bristol,  laden  with  logwood,  tar,  etc.,  which  had 
been  taken  on  the  homeward  passage  from  Boston  by  a 
Bilbao  privateer.  The  Terrible  also  recaptured  the  Brom- 
field,  of  Bristol,  Captain  Sharp,  which  had  been  taken  by 
the  French  on  the  passage  from  St.  Kitts  to  Bristol.  The 
L' Amiable  Martha,  from  St.  Domingo  for  Bordeaux,  was 
taken  and  carried  into  Cork  by  the  Terrible.  The  prize 
cargo  consisted  of  370  hogsheads  and  44  barrels  of  sugar, 
57  casks  of  coffee,  1 1  hogsheads  of  indigo,  one  hogshead 
white  sugar,  1,270  pieces  of  eight,  and  five  cobs  of  gold. 
In  1746  the  Terrible  captured  a  Martinico  ship  and  sent  her 
into  Liverpool.  In  July,  1744,  we  read  that  the  Thurloe 
had  captured  a  vessel  with  wine  ;  and  about  the  same  time 
that  the  Vulture  privateer,  of  Bayonne,  14  carriage  guns 
and  118  men,  had  been  taken  and  carried  into  Cork  by 
the  Thurloe  and  the  Blake  privateers  of  Liverpool.  The 
Admiral  Blake  took  a  Martinico  ship,  and,  in  company 
with  the  Thurloe,  carried  into  Cork  the  Admiral,  a  rich 
French  ship  from  Martinico  for  Bordeaux.  In  the  capture 
list  of  August,  1744,  we  read  that  the  Thurloe  privateer  of 
Liverpool,  and  her  prize,  a  Martinicoman,  were  taken  by  a 
French  privateer,  but  afterwards  retaken  by  the  Thurloe's 
consort,  the  Old  Noll,  with  the  Frenchmen  on  board,  and 


40  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVA  TEERS. 

carried  into  Cork.  After  a  smart  engagement,  the  French 
privateer,  of  36  guns  and  300  men,  sheered  off.  The  Old 
Noll  took  the  Providence,  from  Bordeaux  for  Martinico,  and 
carried  her  into  Kinsale  ;  and  recaptured  the  Hannah, 
Captain  Fowler,  from  Jamaica,  which  she  sent  into  Cork. 
The  Old  AW/ also  took  a  prize  off  the  Start,  and  a  fishing 
vessel  with  30  men,  "three  of  them  Irish,"  and  the  City  of 
Nantz,  a  very  large  ship  from  St.  Domingo  for  Nantz, 
which  she  convoyed  to  Liverpool.  Finally,  the  Old  Noll 
recaptured  and  carried  to  Liverpool  the  Sarah,  from 
Carolina  for  London,  which  had  been  taken  by  a  French 
privateer  called  the  Count  de  Maurepas,  who  had  captured 
five  prizes.  In  November,  1745,  the  sad  intelligence 
reached  Liverpool  that  the  Old  Noll  had  been  sunk,  with 
all  her  crew,  by  the  Brest  squadron.  In  June,  1748,  the 
capture  lists  recorded  that  "a  Dutch  ship,  from  Bordeaux 
to  Dunkirk,  with  bale  goods  and  spices,  and  a  French 
sloop  from  Cape  Francois,  coming  express  with  the  account 
of  the  English  taking  Port  Louis,"  had  been  captured  by 
the  Warren  privateer,  of  Liverpool.  Early  in  the  same 
year  a  vessel  called  L'Amitie,  bound  for  St.  Domingo,  was 
taken  and  carried  to  Antigua  by  a  Captain  Johnson,  of 
Liverpool.  Liverpool  commerce  suffered  heavily  from  the 
privateers  of  the  enemy,  and  the  few  captures  recorded 
above  offer  a  sad  contrast  to  .the  long  list  of  Liverpool 
vessels  taken  during  the  war.* 

Captain  Fortunatus  Wright  was  undoubtedly  the  most 
famous  British  privateer  commander  of  his  time,  and 
Liverpool's  favourite  hero  during  the  first  half  of  the 
eighteenth  century.  In  the  few  memorials  of  his  life  and 
character  which  we  have  gathered  together  he  strikes  the 
imagination  as  the  ideal  and  ever-victorious  captain, 
around  whose  name  and  fate  clings  the  halo  of  mystery 

*  See  Appendix  No.   I. 


CA  PTA  IN  FOR  TUNA  TUS  WRIGHT.  4 1 

and  romance.  Smollett,  the  historian,  has  paid  the  follow- 
ing tribute  to  his  memory:  "Sir  Edward  Hawke,  being- 
disappointed  in  his  hope  of  encountering  la  Galissoniere, 
and  relieving  the  English  garrison  of  St.  Philip's,  at  least 
asserted  the  empire  of  Great  Britain  in  the  Mediterranean, 
by  annoying  the  commerce  of  the  enemy  and  blocking  up 
their  squadron  in  the  harbour  of  Toulon.  Understanding 
that  the  Austrian  government  at  Leghorn  had  detained  an 
English  privateer  and  imprisoned  the  captain  on  pretence 
that  he  had  violated  the  neutrality  of  the  port,  he  detached 
two  ships  of  war  to  insist  in  a  peremptory  manner  on  the 
release  of  the  ship,  effects,  crew,  and  captain  ;  and  they 
thought  proper  to  comply  with  his  demand,  even  without 
waiting  for  orders  from  the  Court  of  Vienna.  The  person 
in  whose  behalf  the  Admiral  thus  interposed  was  one 
Fortunatus  Wright,  a  native  of  Liverpool,  who  though  a 
stranger  to  a  sea-life,  had  in  the  last  war*  equipped  a 
privateer,  and  distinguished  himself  in  such  a  manner  by 
his  uncommon  vigilance  and  valour,  that  if  he  had  been 
indulged  with  a  command  suitable  to  his  genius,  he  would 
have  deserved  as  honourable  a  place  in  the  annals  of  the 
navy  as  that  which  the  French  have  bestowed  upon  their 
boasted  Gue  Trouin,  Du  Bart,  and  Thurot.  An  uncommon 
exertion  of  spirit  was  the  occasion  of  his  being  detained  at 
this  juncture.  While  he  lay  at  anchor  in  the  harbour 
of  Leghorn,  commander  of  the  St.  George  Privateer  of 
Liverpool,  a  small  ship  of  12  guns  and  80  men,  a  large 
French  xebeque,  mounted  with  16  cannon  and  nearly  three 
times  the  number  of  his  complement,  chose  her  station  in  view 
of  the  harbour,  in  order  to  interrupt  the  British  commerce. 
The  gallant  Wright  could  not  endure  this  insult ;  notwith- 
standing the  enemy's  superiority  in  metal  and  number  of 
men,  he  weighed  anchor,  hoisted  his  sails,  engaged  him 

*War  of  the  Austrian  Succession. 


42  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

within  sight  of  the  shore,  and  after  a  very  obstinate  dispute, 
in  which  the  Captain,  lieutenant,  and  above  three  score  of 
the  men  belonging  to  the  xebeque  were  killed  on  the  spot, 
he  obliged  them  to  sheer  off,  and  returned  to  the  harbour 
in  triumph.  This  brave  corsair  would,  no  doubt,  have 
signalised  himself  by  many  other  exploits,  had  not  he,  in 
the  sequel,  been  overtaken  in  the  midst  of  his  career  by  a 
dreadful  storm,  in  which  the  ship  foundering,  he  and  all  his 
crew  perished."* 

Professor  Laughton,  in  his  "Studies  in  Naval  History," 
very  properly  doubts  whether  Smollett  is  entirely  correct  in 
his  statements  regarding  Wright's  early  life.  "  His  father," 
he  says,  ' '  who  was  of  Cheshire  origin,  was  a  master  mariner 
and  shipowner,  and  I  have  little  doubt  that  Wright  himself 
followed  the  sea  in  his  youth  probably  as  his  father's  appren- 
tice, or  afterwards  in  command  of  one  of  his  father's  ships. 
The  evidence  is  indeed  very  strong  that  he  was  far  from  a 
stranger  to  a  sea  life.  William  Hutchinson,  for  many  years 
dockmaster  at  Liverpool,  and  who,  on  the  title-page  of  his 
'Treatise  on  Practical  Seamanship,'  styles  himself  as  dis- 
tinctively 'Mariner' — the  sort  of  man  who,  in  the  last  century, 
would  have  divided  the  human  race  into  seamen  and  land- 
lubbers— speaks  with  evident  pride  of  having  served  under 
Fortunatus  Wright,  and  frequently  refers  to  the  practice  of 
'that  great,'  'that  worthy  hero,'  as  illustrating  different 
points  of  seamanship.  He  had,  however,  retired  from  the 
sea,  and  settled  down  as  a  merchant  and  shipowner.  Beyond 
that,  little  is  known,  but  it  is  believed  that  he  became 
involved  in  a  tedious  and  costly  lawsuit  on  account  of  one 
of  his  ships  with  letters  of  marque  detaining  a  vessel  in 
which  the  Turkey  Company  had  an  interest.  In  this  there 
is  possibly  some  confusion  with  a  later  incident,  the  circum- 
stances of  which  are  before  us  ;  but  at  any  rate  we  may 

*Smollett's  "History  of  England,"  vol.  I,  page  337. 


CAPTAIN  FORTUNATUS  WRIGHT.  43 

accept  the  statement  that,  consequent  on  this  lawsuit,  and 
not  caring  to  abide  another  with  which  he  was  threatened, 
he  realised  his  property  and  left  Liverpool."  For  these 
personal  details,  Professor  Laughton  was  indebted  to  the 
kindness  of  Mr.  Fortunatus  Evelyn  Wright,  Consul  for 
Sweden  and  Norway  at  Christchurch,  New  Zealand.  Mr. 
F.  E.  Wright,  or  rather  his  elder  brother,  Mr.  Sydney 
Evelyn  Wright,  formerly  a  paymaster  in  the  navy,  is  the 
lineal  representative  of  our  privateer  captain,  as  well  as  of 
John  Evelyn,  the  author  of  "  Sylva,"  and  the  first  treasurer 
of  Greenwich  Hospital.* 

According  to  Smithers'  History  of  Liverpool,  Fortunatus 
Wright  was  the  son  of  Captain  John  Wright,  mariner,  who 
died  in  April,  1717,  and  who  gallantly  defended  his  ship  for 
several  hours  against  two  vessels  of  superior  force,  as  is 
recorded  on  a  plain  tombstone  in  St.  Peter's  churchyard  ; 
which  records  also  that  4i  Fortunatus  Wright,  his  son,  was 
always  victorious,  and  humane  to  the  vanquished.  He 
was  a  constant  terror  to  the  enemies  of  his  king  and 
country."  After  giving  the  substance  of  Smollett's 
account,  Mr.  Smithers  adds,  "but  tradition  tells  that  he 
became  a  victim  to  political  interests.  The  tombstone  is 
silent  as  to  the  cause  of  his  death."  It  is  to  be  regretted 
that  so  little  is  known  of  the  early  life  of  a  brave  man,  of 
whom  Liverpool  has  reason  to  be  proud. 

In  June,  1742,  Captain  Fortunatus  Wright  was  travel- 
ling in  Italy,  where  he  met  with  an  adventure  which  is 
thus  related  in  a  letter  from  Horace  Mann,  the  British 
Resident,  to  his  friend  Horace  Walpole  : — 


"Captain  Wright's  daughter,  Philippa,  married  Charles,  the  grandson  of  John 
Evelyn,  of  Wottun,  whose  daughter,  Susanna,  married  her  first  cousin  once 
removed,  John  Ell  worthy  Fortunatus  Wright,  who  served  as  a  lieutenant  in  the 
navy  during  the  war  of  American  Independence,  and  retired  after  the  peace  of 
1783.  He  was  subsequently  appointed  master  of  the  George's  Dock,  Liverpool, 
where  he  was  accidental!}'  killed  in  the  year  1798.  Some  of  his  descendants, 
doubtless,  still  reside  in  Liverpool,  though  the  elder  branch  of  the  hero's  family 
emigrated  many  years  ago  to  New  Zealand. 


44  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

"For  this  last  week  I  have  had  Complaints  made  to  me 
which  were  brought  by  an  Express,  of  an  Englishman,  one 
Wright's  design  to  storm  the  Town  and  Republick  of 
Lucca,  which  horrid  design  was  manifested  by  his  obstinate 
refusal  to  deliver  a  couple  of  Pistols  to  the  Guards  at  the 
Gate,  and  his  presenting  one  of  them  cocked  at  the 
Corporal,  and  twenty  soldiers  that  demanded  them  of  him, 
threatening  to  kill  them  if  they  persisted.  Much  mischief 
might  have  ensued  had  not  a  Colonel  with  thirty  more 
soldiers  taken  this  valiant  Squire  Prisoner.  He  was  con- 
ducted with  the  above  attendants  to  his  Inn,  where  he 
found  another  Guard,  and  two  were  placed  in  his  bed- 
chamber, till  one  of  the  Lucchese  noblemen  to  whom  our 
Countryman  had  recommendations,  found  means  to  persuade 
the  Republick  that  no  mischief  should  ensue.  He  was 
kept  three  days  prisoner,  when  at  four  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  just  as  his  Servant  was  setting  out  post  to  tell  me, 
he  received  a  message  from  the  Gonfaloniere,  by  an  officer 
who  speaks  English,  'that  since  he  had  been  so  daring  as 
to  endeavour  to  enter  the  Town  by  force  of  Arms,  it  was 
therefore  ordered  that  he  should  forthwith  leave  the  State — 
never  presume  to  enter  it  again  without  leave  from  the 
Republick  ;  and  that  there  were  post  horses  at  the  door  of 
his  house,  as  well  as  a  Guard  of  Soldiers,  to  see  him  out  of 
the  Territories  of  the  Republick  ! '  He  answered  a  great 
deal  not  much  to  the  purpose.  However,  his  compliance 
with  the  orders  put  an  end  to  what  had  made  a  great 
noise,  and  for  three  days  had  put  their  Excellencies  in  an 
uproar."* 

It  is  supposed  that  after  this  remarkable  adventure 
Captain  Wright  lived  with  his  wife  and  family  either  at 
Leghorn  or  Florence  for  about  four  years.  His  connection 
with  John  Evelyn,  and  his  letters  of  introduction  to  the 

*  "  Mann  and  Manners  at  the  Court  of  Florence,"  vol.  I,  pp  72-73. 


CAPTAIN  FORTUNATUS  WRIGHT.  45 

Lucchese  nobleman,  show  that  he  was  a  man  of  good 
social  position.  Professor  Laughton,  who  has  seen  speci- 
mens of  his  handwriting,  pronounces  it  to  be  that  of  a 
man  of  culture  and  education.  "The  hand,"  he  says, 
"  is  not  of  a  commercial  character,  still  less  is  it  the 
hand  of  a  rude  seaman,  more  familiar  with  the  marling- 
spike  than  the  pen." 

Soon  after  the  outbreak  of  war  with  France  in  1744, 
Wright  conjointly,  probably,  with  the  English  merchants 
in  Leghorn,  fitted  out  the  brigantine  Fame  "to  cruise 
against  the  enemies  of  Great  Britain."  In  the  "Gentleman's 
Magazine"  for  January,  1744,  it  is  recorded  that  the 
Swallow,  Captain  Wright,  from  Lisbon  for  London,  had 
been  taken  by  the  Begonia  and  ransomed  at  sea,  her  former 
captain,  Mr.  Hutchinson,  being  detained  as  security.  We 
have  no  means  of  knowing  whether  the  Swallow  belonged 
to  our  Captain  Wright  or  not,  but  it  is  scarcely  conceivable 
that  with  Fortunatus  Wright  and  William  Hutchinson  on 
board  either  the  Swalloiv  or  any  other  vessel  would  have 
struck.  We  know,  however,  that  it  is  to  this  period  of 
Wright's  romantic  career  that  Captain  Hutchinson  refers  in 
his  observations  on  a  ship  cruising  on  her  station,  which  we 
have  quoted  in  a  previous  chapter  as  illustrating  the  tactics 
of  these  two  daring  and  successful  commanders. 

In  the  "Gentleman's  Magazine"  for  November,  1746, 
we  read  that  two  French  ships  from  Smyrna  for  Marseilles 
were  taken  "by  the  Fame  privateer,  Captain  Wright, 
fitted  out  by  the  merchants  at  Leghorn,  and  carried  into 
Messina  ;  "  and  a  month  later  the  same  publication  stated 
that  the  Fame  had  captured  16  French  ships  in  the  Levant, 
worth  ,£400,000  sterling;  also  that  18  of  our  West  India  and 
other  ships  were  carried  into  French  ports.  The  "  London 
Gazette"  reported  the  captures  as  follows: — "Sixteen 
French  ships,  taken  by  the  Fame  Privateer,  Captain 
Fortunatus  Wright,  in  the  Mediterranean  ;  two  of  them 


46  777^  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

about  200  tons  each,  brought  into  Messina  on  October  13, 
and  the  others  sent  into  Leghorn.  The  largest  of  the  two 
ships  was  fitted  out  by  the  French  factories  on  the  coast  of 
Caramania  with  20  guns  and  150  men  ;  but  after  a  smart 
engagement  of  three  hours  with  the  Fame  off  the  isle  of 
Cyprus,  the  Frenchmen  ran  their  ship  ashore  and  escaped, 
while  the  English  took  possession  of  the  ship,  and  got  her 
afloat  again." 

On  the  i  Qth  of  December,  1746,  the  Fame  captured  a 
French  ship,  bound  from  Marseilles  for  Naples,  with  the 
Prince  of  Campo  Florida's  baggage  on  board,  and  carried 
her  into  Leghorn,  notwithstanding  that  the  French  vessel 
had  a  pass  from  his  "Sacred  majesty,  King  George  the 
Second."  This  was  a  most  irregular,  not  to  say  irreverent, 
action,  the  only  excuse  offered  being  the  omission  of  the 
vessel's  name  in  the  pass.  She  was  sent  into  Leghorn  to 
be  condemned  in  the  usual  way;  and,  no  doubt,  the  Prince 
of  Campo  Florida  used  very  sulphurous  language  when  he 
heard  the  fate  of  his  equipage  and  baggage  ;  so  did  Mr. 
Goldsworthy,  the  English  Consul  at  Leghorn,  who  was 
aghast  at  the  "insult"  offered  to  his  Majesty's  pass.  We 
are  not  sure  that  Wright  himself  was  in  command  of  the 
Fame  when  this  "outrage"  on  majesty  was  committed,  but 
he  speedily  received  a  very  strongly-worded  exhortation 
from  the  consul  to  set  the  prize  at  liberty.  The  captain 
would  not  give  way  to  the  consul,  but  afterwards,  on  the 
representation  of  the  British  Minister,  he  agreed  to  refer  the 
affair  to  the  naval  commander-in-chief  on  the  station,  who 
decided  against  him,  and  the  prize  wras  released. 

A  far  more  serious  international  dispute  next  claimed  his 
attention.  Early  in  1747  the  Ottoman  Porte  complained 
that  Turkish  property  on  board  French  ships  had  been 
seized  by  English  privateers,  and  especially  by  Captain 
Fortunatus  Wright,  in  the  Fame.  Mr.  Goldsworthy,  the 
English  Consul  at  Leghorn,  who  had  been  instructed  to 


CAPTAIN  FORTUNATUS  WRIGHT.  47 

enquire  into  the  matter,  wrote  to  Captain  Wright  for  an 
explanation,  and  received  a  reply  which  was  the  reverse  of 
satisfactory  to  the  Turkish  merchants  whose  property  had 
been  confiscated.  "  The  two  ships  named,"  wrote  Captain 
Wright,  "had  each  of  them  a  French  pass,  and  both  of  them 
belonged  to  Marseilles.  They  also  hoisted  French  colours 
and  struck  them  to  me  ;  nay,  the  latter  engaged  me  for  a 
considerable  time  under  these  colours.  For  these  reasons 
I  brought  them  to  Leghorn,  and  have  had  them  legally 
condemned  in  the  Admiralty  Court,  by  virtue  of  which 
sentence  I  have  disposed  of  them  and  distributed  the 
money."* 

The  fact  that  the  prize  money  had  been  realized,  distri- 
buted, and  probably  spent  by  the  captors,  though  grievous 
to  the  Turkish  mind,  was  not  permitted  to  end  the  matter. 
The  influence  of  the  Turkey  Company  was  strong  enough 
to  procure  from  the  British  Government  fresh  instructions 
dated  March  30,  1747,  for  the  Privateers  and  Admiralty 
Courts  in  the  Mediterranean,  to  the  effect  that  Turkish 
property  on  board  even  French  vessels  was  not  prize. 
Captain  Wright  naturally  refused  to  allow  the  order  in  his 
case  to  be  retrospective,  and  as  he  positively  declined  to 
disgorge,  an  order  was  sent  from  England  to  have  him 
arrested  and  sent  home.  On  December  nth,  1747,  the 
Tuscan  authorities  obligingly  clapped  him  into  prison,  but 
refused  to  deliver  him  up  to  Consul  Goldsworthy,  who 
vainly  argued  that  as  commander  of  an  English  private 
ship  he  was  subject  to  consular  jurisdiction.  Captain 
Wright  remained  a  prisoner  in  the  fortress  of  Leghorn  for 
about  six  months  ;  then  an  order  came  from  Vienna  to 
hand  him  over  to  the  English  Consul.  Whilst  Goldsworthy 
was  waiting  for  an  opportunity  to  send  the  stubborn  hero  to 
England,  a  new  command  bade  him  set  him  at  liberty  on 

*Goklsworthy  to  the  Deputy-Governor  of  the  Turkey  Company,  Feb.  aoth,  1747. 


48  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS 

the  ground  that  Wright  had  "  given  bail  in  the  High 
Court  of  Admiralty  to  answer  the  action  commenced 
against  him."  This  was  done  on  or  about  June  loth,  1748. 
The  special  ground  of  this  action,  which  ran  on  in  a 
manner  highly  pleasing  to  the  legal  mind  and  profitable  to 
the  legal  pocket,  was  the  seizure  of  Turkish  property  on 
board  the  Hermione,  a  French  ship  taken  by  the  Fame  on 
February  26th,  1747,  the  proceeds  from  which  Captain 
Wright  refused  to  give  up.  The  suit  was  still  pending  in 
June,  1749,  a  year  after  the  captain's  release,  for  on  the  4th 
of  June  he  sent  a  long  statement  of  his  case  to  Consul 
Goldsworthy,  concluding  in  these  characteristic  words  : — 

"  The  cargo  was  all  sold  at  public  auction,  for  which  I 
have  proper  vouchers  ;  therefore,  I  am  surprised  at  the 
manner  the  Turkey  Company  have  represented  this  affair, 
or  that  they  should  trouble  his  Grace,  after  they  have 
prosecuted  me,  after  they  had  caused  me  to  be  confined  near 
six  months  at  their  instance,  and  have  since  found  their 
libel  totally  rejected,  and  that  I  am  acquitted  from  the 
charge.  They  attacked  me  at  law  ;  to  that  law  I  must 
appeal  ;  if  I  have  acted  contrary  to  it,  to  it  I  must  be 
responsible  ;  for  I  do  not  apprehend  I  am  so  to  any  agent 
of  the  Grand  Signior,  to  the  Grand  Signior  himself,  or  to 
any  other  power,  seeing  I  am  an  Englishman  and  acted 
under  a  commission  from  my  prince." 

The  correspondence  about  the  Hermione  was  still  going 
on  in  1750,  when  Wright  entered  into  partnership  with 
Captain  William  Hutchinson.  It  seems  that  Wright  did 
not  disgorge  after  all,  but  how  the  lawsuit  ended — whether 
it  was  nursed  to  death  by  the  lawyers,  or  merged  in  some 
diplomatic  settlement  with  the  "  Grand  Signior,"  is  not 
known.  It  might  be  supposed  that  Wright  having  in  1746 
taken  16  ships,  valued  at  ,£400,000,  was  in  a  position  to 
recoup  the  losses  of  the  Turkish  litigants.  Professor 
Laughton  thinks  the  value  of  those  prizes  was  a  gross 


CAPTAIN  FORTUNATUS  WRIGHT.  49 

exaggeration.  "  Wright,"  he  says,  "was  owner  as  well  as 
captain  of  the  brigantine,  and  her  ship's  company  must 
have  been  small  ;  his  share  of  such  a  sum  would  have 
rendered  him  wealthy  ;  but  he  does  not  come  before  us  in 
the  after  years  as  a  wealthy  man."  It  is,  however,  expressly 
stated  in  the  "Gentleman's  Magazine"  for  1746,  that  the 
Fame  was  fitted  out  by  the  merchants  of  Leghorn,  therefore 
Wright  was  not  the  owner,  though  he  may  have  had  a 
share  in  the  venture.  To  capture  so  many  important 
prizes,  and  make  himself  the  terror  of  the  French  in  the 
Mediterranean,  required  not  only  a  daring  commander,  but 
a  considerable  crew,  both  for  fighting  the  enemy  and 
manning  the  prizes.  In  a  list  of  British  privateers  in 
1745  we  find  the  Fame,  fitted  out  in  London,  carrying  50 
guns  and  380  men,  and  commanded  by  Captain  Comyn. 
She  surpassed  all  the  other  privateers — numbering  98 — in 
the  number  of  her  men  and  guns,  and  yet  we  can  trace 
none  of  her  exploits.  It  is  very  probable  that  Captain 
Comyn  was  succeeded  by  Fortunatus  Wright,  who  immedi- 
ately made  the  vessel  justify  her  name  and  superior 
armament.  This,  however,  is  purely  conjecture. 

The  Fame  was  not  idle  while  Captain  Wright  was 
cooling  his  heels  in  the  fortress  of  Leghorn  ;  for  in  the 
"Gentleman's  Magazine"  for  January,  1748,  it  is  recorded 
that  a  French  ship  from  Alexandria  to  Marseilles  had  been 
carried  into  Leghorn  by  the  Fame  privateer. 

In  1750  Captain  Wright  joined  with  Captain  William 
Hutchinson  in  purchasing  and  fitting  out  as  a  merchant 
ship  the  old  2o-gun  frigate  of  war,  Leostoff,  which  made 
several  trading  voyages  to  the  West  Indies,  under  the 
command,  probably,  of  Hutchinson,  while  Wright  settled 
down  with  his  wife  and  family  at  Leghorn. 

When  the  speedy  renewal  of  the  war  between  England 
and  France  became  apparent  in  1755  and  early  in  1756, 
Captain  Fortunatus  Wright  set  about  building  a  small 

D 


50  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

vessel  at  Leghorn,  to  cruise  against  the  "hereditary 
enemy "  of  Great  Britain.  This  was  the  St.  George 
privateer,  destined  to  be  as  famous,  but  not  so  fortunate 
for  its  gallant  commander,  as  the  Fame.  On  the  declaration 
of  war,  the  Tuscan  government,  whose  interests  were 
closely  bound  up  with  those  of  France,  and  whose  neutrality 
was  in  practice  only  a  thinly-veiled  partiality,  took  measures 
to  prevent  the  English  ships  in  port  from  increasing  their 
crews  or  armament,  either  for  defence  as  merchant  ships  or 
for  privateering  purposes.  Captain  Wright  was  too  well- 
known  for  the  destination  of  his  vessel  to  be  a  matter  of 
doubt  to  the  government  officials,  and  he  was  compelled  to 
resort  to  stratagem  in  order  to  have  her  properly  equipped 
for  her  intended  cruise.  It  was  with  an  air  "childlike  and 
bland "  that  he  applied  to  the  authorities  to  know  what 
force  they  would  permit  him  to  carry  out  of  the  port  as  a 
merchant  ship.  This  was  ultimately  fixed  at  four  small 
guns  and  25  men,  every  precaution  being  taken  by  the 
officials  to  ensure  that  the  limit  was  not  exceeded.  Wright 
gravely  urged  them  to  have  guard  boats  rowing  round  him 
to  make  more  certain,  and  so  conducted  the  whole  affair 
that  in  taking  leave  of  the  governor,  he  obtained  from  him 
a  written  certificate  that  he  had  complied  with  the  limitation. 
He  sailed  out  of  the  port  of  Leghorn  on  the  25th  of  July, 
1756,  in  company  with  three  or  four  merchant  vessels 
homeward  bound  to  England,  which,  amongst  other  things, 
carried  an  efficient  armament  and  ship's  company  for  the 
St.  George.  The  enemies  of  England  at  Leghorn  secretly 
rejoiced,  no  doubt,  thinking  that  Wright  and  his  convoy 
were  sailing  into  the  lion's  mouth,  for  they  must  have  known 
that  a  French  privateer  had  been  cruising  for  the  past  month 
off  the  harbour,  expecting  to  make  a  rich  but  easy  capture 
of  the  poorly  armed  little  St.  George  and  her  convoy.  The 
captain  of  the  French  privateer  had  asked  in  Leghorn, 
"Pray  when  does  Wright  intend  to  come  out?  He  has 


CAPTAIN  FORTUNATUS  WRIGHT.  51 

already  made  me  lose  too  much  time."  The  French 
commander  had  indeed  very  substantial  reasons  for  desiring 
a  meeting.  His  vessel,  a  xebec  (carrying  lateen  sails  on 
three  masts)  had  280  men  on  board,  and  mounted  16 
carriage  guns,  besides  swivels  and  a  great  number  of  small 
arms.  She  "had  been  fitted  out  with  a  particular  view  to 
take  Captain  Wright,  who,  having  done  the  French  much 
damage  during  the  last  war,  had  been  marked  out  by  the 
French  King,  who  promised  the  honour  of  knighthood,  a 
pension  of  3,000  livres  per  annum  for  life,  and  the  com- 
mand of  a  ship  of  war,  to  whoever  should  bring  him  into 
France  alive  or  dead.  The  merchants  of  Marseilles  had 
also  promised  a  reward,  double  the  value  of  Wright's 
vessel,  in  a  writing  pasted  up  on  their  Exchange."* 

The  subsequent  proceedings  of  Wright  and  the  French 
candidate  for  knighthood  at  his  expense  are  given  in  a 
letter  from  Leghorn  to  a  merchant  in  Liverpool,  dated 
July  30,  1756  :— 

"  Your  brave  townsman  Capt.  Fortunatus  Wright's  late 
gallant  action  is  at  present  the  topic  of  conversation  here  ; 
the  heads  of  which  are  as  follow  :  Capt.  Wright  sailed  the 
25th  inst.  with  three  other  small  vessels  under  convoy  of 
Capt.  Wright,  who  engaged  to  see  them  safe  as  low  as 
Gibraltar.  The  Government  here  would  not  allow  him  to 
carry  more  than  four  guns  and  25  men,  not  intending  to 
infringe  on  the  privileges  of  this  neutral  port.  When  he 
got  clear  of  the  harbour,  he  bought  eight  guns  more  from 
some  commanders  of  vessels  and  prevailed  on  55  of  their 
men  to  enter  on  board  his  ship;  so  that  he  had  12  guns  and 
80  men  with  him.  About  8  o'clock  next  morning,  a  French 
privateer  of  16  guns,  with  above  200  men  on  board,  who 
had  been  cruising  a  month  off  of  our  harbour,  in  order  to 
intercept  the  English  ships,  bore  down  upon  them.  Capt. 

*"  Gentleman's  Magazine,'    August,    1756. 


52  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

Wright  made  a  signal  for  his  convoy  to  run  and  save 
themselves,  whilst  he  boldly  lay  by  for  the  enemy  ;  about 
twelve  the  engagement  began  in  sight  of  above  ten  thousand 
of  the  well-wishers  to  the  French,  but  in  three-quarters- 
of-an-hour  he  silenced  the  xebeck,  who  made  off,  (ill 
shattered)  with  her  oars  ;  had  there  been  any  wind,  Capt. 
Wright  would  easily  have  taken  her.  Two  other  priva- 
teers appearing  in  sight  and  attempting  to  cut  off  his 
convoy,  hindered  his  continuing  the  chase,  he  choosing 
rather  to  protect  them  than  to  run  the  risque  of  their 
being  taken.  Next  morning  he  brought  them  safe  back 
into  this  port.  He  lost  his  lieutenant  and  four  men,  and 
had  8  others  wounded  ;  but  the  xebeck  suffered  very  much, 
a  lucky  shot  having  carried  away  her  prow,  on  which  were 
30  men  attempting  to  board  him  ;  he  so  maltreated  her,  that 
it  is  generally  believed  they  lost  above  80  men,  besides 
their  captain  and  lieutenant. 

"  There  has  been  an  edict  published  at  Marseilles  by  the 
French  King's  order,  offering  a  reward  of  double  the  value 
of  Captain  Wright's  ship,  a  pension  of  3,000  livres  per 
annum,  besides  being  honoured  with  the  Order  of  St.  Lewis 
and  having  the  command  of  a  king's  ship,  for  any  person 
who  will  take  him. 

"  Capt.  Wright,  for  his  gallant  behaviour  and  protection 
of  the  merchantmen  agreeable  to  his  promise  has  had  a 
present  given  him  of  £120  sterling,  collected  by  the 
English  Factory  ;  the  foreigners  are  going  to  make  a  purse 
for  him,  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  his  townsmen  will  not  be 
backward  with  you,  for  his  gallant  behaviour  in  disabling  a 
French  privateer,  and  to  enable  him  to  support  himself 
under  some  difficulties.  This  State  having  (though  very 
imprudent)  thought  proper  to  stop  him  since  his  return, 
alledging  that  his  ship  was  armed  out  of  this  place ;  but  the 
whole  Factory  can  prove  to  the  contrary,  he  having  suffered 
his  ship  to  be  searched  by  the  first  and  second  captains  of 


CAPTAIN  FORTUNATUS  WRIGHT.  53 

this  port,  who  went  on  board  by  the  Governor's  order,  and 
two  guard-boats  attended  him  to  hinder  any  arms  or 
ammunition  coming  off  shore.  The  French  here  daily  ship 
off  ammunition  for  Marseilles,  and  our  States  say  'tis  no 
more  than  common  merchandise  ;  though  they  will  not 
permit  any  Englishman  the  same  privilege. 

"Our  Consul  here  has  sent  an  account  of  the  affair  to 
Sir  Horace  Mann,  the  Resident  at  Florence,*  and  we  are 
in  hopes,  through  his  means  and  the  whole  Factory's,  who 
are  all  hearty  in  the  cause,  that  the  British  Government 
will  take  notice  of  him  ;  especially  as  the  French  have  set 
so  high  a  price  on  his  head,  and  think  him  so  dangerous 
an  enemy  to  them  ;  they  having  not  yet  forgot  his  brave 
actions  last  war."f 

This  was  an  astonishing  victory,  gained  over  an  enemy 
of  double  his  force,  who  had  had  ample  time  to  put  his 
crew  in  efficient  order,  while  Wright's  hastily-gathered 
reinforcement  of  55  men,  composed  of  Slavonians,  Vene- 
tians, Italians,  Swiss,  and  a  few  English,  were  called  upon 
to  fight  at  a  moment's  notice.  In  the  "  Gentleman's 
Magazine"  the  xebeck  is  said  to  have  "received  much 
damage,  and  lost  her  captain,  lieutenant,  the  lieutenant  of 
marines,  and  88  men,  70  more  being  wounded  ;  she  bore 
away  and  left  Capt.  Wright  the  honour  of  having  preserved 
four  vessels,  some  richly  laden,  which  had  put  themselves 
under  his  protection  for  convoy,  after  having  in  vain 
waited  for  a  ship  of  war." 


*  1756. — "  Day  by  day,  meanwhile,  our  Minister  at  Florence  was  in  extreme 
agony  at  the  dark  hour  which  had  fallen  upon  old  England.  His  Florentine  friends 
told  him  that  Minorca  would  be  given  to  Spain,  and  probably  Gibraltar  would  be 
restored  to  her.  When  he  heard  that  the  Genoese  had  joined  France,  Mann 
recognised  the  old  saying  of  them  as  people  Senza  fede.  '  What  an  opportunity 
has  been  lost '  (July  2Oth)  ;  '  at  present  two  privateers  of  1 6  guns  and  of  24,  that  are 
between  Corsica  and  Leghorn,  prevent  any  of  our  Merchantmen  leaving  that 
port.'  The  partiality  of  the  Florentine  Regency  for  the  French  enraged  him.  It- 
is  so  great,  he  writes,  in  August,  that  there  is  no  bearing  it." — Mann  and  Manners, 
vol.  i,  p.  389. 

t  Williamson  s  Advertiser,  August  2Oth,  1756. 


54:  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

Instead  of  a  knighthood,  a  pension  for  life,  and  a  higher 
command,  the  French  captain  met  with  defeat,  death,  and 
the  attendant  disgrace  of  being  vanquished  by  an  "inferior 
force."  The  Tuscan  authorities,  exasperated  at  the  Tartar 
caught  by  their  French  friend,  soon  showed  their  leaning. 
Wright  had  no  sooner  anchored  than  the  governor  ordered 
him  to  bring  his  vessel  within  the  Mole  under  pain  of 
being  brought  in  by  force.  As  an  officer  holding  his 
Britannic  Majesty's  commission  he  refused  to  obey;  where- 
upon two  snows  anchored  alongside  the  St.  George  and 
took  charge  of  him.  This  high-handed  proceeding  roused 
the  indignation  of  the  captains  of  the  English  ships  in  the 
Mole,  who  offered  to  haul  out  and  make  common  cause 
with  him.  Wright,  however,  chose  in  this  instance  a 
peaceful  course,  placing  himself  in  the  hands  of  the  British 
Resident  at  Florence,  who  immediately  demanded  satisfac- 
tion from  the  Regency.  What  likelihood  there  was  of  get- 
ting it  in  the  then  state  of  public  feeling  may  be  gathered  from 
the  following  extract  of  a  letter  received  in  Liverpool  from 
a  merchant  residing  at  Leghorn,  dated  August  3Oth,  1756.* 

"  The  loss  of  Mahon  hath  exposed  us  to  the  most 
insulting  sneers  ;  and  it  has  been  very  mortifying  to  see  a 
rabble — though  of  boys— go  about  for  several  nights  with 
white  cockades,  crying  ^Viva  Franchia ;  burn  the  English ;  ' 
which  cry  has  again  been  renewed  on  occasion  of  the 
holiday  of  St.  Lewis,  kept  here  with  great  rejoicing.  We 
were  in  hopes  that  Captain  Wright's  (late  of  Liverpool) 
gallant  behaviour — which  we  were  all  spectators  of — in 
defeating  a  strong  French  privateer  off  the  port,  would 
have  restored  our  credit  a  little  ;  but  it  has  served  only  to 
exasperate  these  Italians  against  us  the  more,  because 
disappointed  of  a  fresh  triumph  over  us,  as  they  made  full 
account  of  seeing  Captain  Wright  fall  a  sacrifice  to  the 

*  Williamson  s  Advertiser,  September  24,  1756- 


CAPTAIN  FORTUNATUS  WRIGHT.  55 

enemy,  whom  they  encouraged  to  cruise  off,  on  purpose,  and 
furnished  with  intelligence  of  Captain  Wright's  motions, 
which  were  watched  narrowly." 

The  Regency,  in  fact,  declined  to  redress  the  wrong  done, 
and  turned  the  tables  by  complaining  that  they  were  the 
injured  parties,  Captain  Wright  having  deceived  them  by 
going  out  with  a  greater  number  of  men  and  arms  than 
had  been  authorised,  or  seen  by  the  examining  officers,  who 
boarded  the  St.  George  by  the  governors  orders.  They 
further  charged  him  with  violating  the  neutrality  of  the 
port,  making  improper  use  of  the  emperor's  colours,  and 
repeatedly  disobeying  their  orders  to  come  within  the  Mole. 
The  British  Resident  replied,  denying  the  alleged  decep- 
tion, and  pointing  out  that  the  men  and  arms  went  out  of 
the  port  on  board  other  vessels  ;  that  the  engagement  had 
taken  place  twelve  miles  off,  the  Frenchman  being  the 
aggressor.  As  to  their  orders  to  Wright  to  come  within  the 
Mole,  they  had  no  business  to  give  them.  Before  sailing 
he  was  within  their  jurisdiction,  had  complied  with  their 
instructions,  and  received  the  governor's  certificate  to  that 
effect ;  but  since  he  had  sailed  under  the  English  flag,  and 
now  held  the  King's  commission,  he  owed  no  obedience  to 
the  authorities  of  Leghorn,  whose  action  was  a  gross 
injustice  and  a  breach  of  neutrality.  This  polite  inter- 
change of  views  went  on  for  two  months,  when  the  affair 
was  unexpectedly  taken  out  of  the  hands  of  scribes  and 
diplomatists  by  a  man  of  action — Sir  Edward  Hawke,  who 
had  just  superseded  Admiral  Byng  as  Naval  Commander-in- 
Chief  in  the  Mediterranean.  In  the  Liverpool  Advertiser  of 
October  8th,  1756,  we  read  the  following  significant  extract 
of  a  letter  from  Leghorn  : — 

"  Admiral  Hawke  has  sent  the  Jersey  of  60  guns,  and  the 
Is  is  of  50  guns,  to  Leghorn  to  demand  from  the  Magistrates 
Capt.  Fortunatus  Wright,  of  your  port,  whom  they  have 
detained,  and  has  only  given  them  three  days  to  consider  of 


56  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVA  TEERS 

it."     A  week  later  the  editor  published  another  letter  from 
Leghorn,  dated  September  28  :— 

4 'Agreeable  to  my  last  on  the  23rd  inst.,  the  men  of 
war  arrived  from  Sir  Edward  Hawke  demanded  Capt. 
Fortunatus  Wright.  The  express  sent  to  the  Regency  of 
Florence  brought  for  answer,  that  they  must  submit  and 
deliver  up  Capt.  Wright,  for  there  was  no  repelling  force ; 
accordingly  the  guards  delivered  him.  On  the  25th  the 
men  of  war  carried  him  off  in  triumph,  in  company  with  a 
number  of  merchantmen  that  were  lying  here  waiting  for  a 
convoy  ;  Capt.  Wright  has  got  150  brave  fellows  on  board 
his  ship,  with  whom  it's  presumed,  he  will  revenge  himself 
if  opportunity  offers.  The  fort  fired  by  way  of  disappro- 
bation at  parting  with  him,  three  guns,  but  not  with  any 
design  to  do  any  damage." 

Professor  Laughton  in  his  "  Naval  Studies,"  referring  to 
this  affair,  states  that  Sir  Edward  Hawke  sent  Sir  William 
Burnaby  with  the  above-named  ships  "to  convoy  what 
merchant  ships  were  waiting,  and  to  bring  the  St.  George 
away,  maugre  the  captain  of  the  port,  the  governor  of 
Leghorn,  the  regency,  or  the  Emperor  himself.  The 
Governor  protested  ;  but  Sir  William  put  it,  without  undue 
periphrasis,  'that  his  orders  were  to  take  Captain  Wright 
away  under  his  protection  ;  and  in  case  either  the  barks  or 
the  forts  fired,  he  would  be  sorry  to  see  himself  under  the 
indispensable  necessity  of  returning  shot  for  shot.'  The 
governor  preferred  dealing  with  the  men  of  the  pen,  and 
sought  comfort  from  Mr.  Dick,  the  consul,  who,  however, 
had  none  to  give  him,  and  told  him  he  had  heard  Sir 
William  Burnaby  say  he  would  take  her  away.  '  Well 
then,'  said  the  governor  piteously,  '  there's  an  end  of  it  ; 
what  can  we  do?  the  French  will  see  it's  not  our  fault.' 
And  so  on  23  September  the  Jersey  and  Isis  departed, 
the  St.  George  accompanying  them,  and  sixteen  rich 
merchant  ships,  homeward  bound." 


CAPTAIN  FORTUNATUS  WRIGHT.  57 

Our  next  information  regarding  this  ever-victorious  com- 
mander is  derived  from  the  public  prints  for  November 
1 9th,  1756,  which  state  :  "  There  are  letters  in  town  by  the 
last  mail,  which  mention  Capt.  Fortunatus  Wright  having 
been  engaged  by  two  French  men-of-war,  which  he  fought 
for  several  hours,  and  at  last  got  clear  off."  And  again  : 
"  Capt.  Fortunatus  Wright  has  taken  and  sent  into  Malta 
two  French  prizes,  viz.,  the  Immaculate  Conception,  Kamp- 
bell,  from  St.  John  D'Acre,  and  the  Esperance,  Richards, 
from  Salonica,  both  bound  to  Marseilles,  reputed  to  be 
worth  ,£15,000  at  least." 

Ere  the  news  of  these  captures  had  reached  his  native 
town,  Captain  Wright  had  put  into  Malta,  where  he  found 
partiality  for  the  French  as  strong  as  at  Leghorn,  the 
English  ships  in  the  harbour  being  kept  under  close  sur- 
veillance. Writing  from  on  board  the  ship  Lark,  at  Malta, 
to  Consul  Dick,  at  Leghorn,  on  November  3rd,  Captain 
Robert  Miller  feelingly  complained  that,  "  Our  ships, 
persons  and  colours  are  treated  with  the  utmost  scandal, 
shame  and  indignity,  even  to  the  highest  degree,  and  with 
such  cruel  severity  that  it  is  almost  impossible  for  anybody 
to  believe  it  that  have  not  been  eye-witnesses  of  it.  ... 
Capt.  Fortunatus  Wright,  of  the  St.  George  privateer,  has 
been  used  here  in  a  most  barbarous  manner." 

The  authorities  certainly  treated  Wright  in  a  most 
unfriendly  and  arbitrary  fashion,  refusing  to  allow  him  to 
buy  the  slops  and  bedding  which  his  men  sorely  needed, 
and  ordering  him  to  send  ashore  a  number  of  English 
sailors  whom  he  had  received  on  board  the  St.  George. 
These  men  had  been  put  ashore  there  from  prizes  taken  by 
French  privateers.  As  an  officer  holding  the  king's 
commission,  Wright  scorned  to  deliver  up  British  subjects 
who  had  taken  refuge  under  the  British  flag.  His  contu- 
macy brought  a  galley  royal  alongside,  whose  captain  told 
him  his  orders  were  to  sink  him  if  he  offered  to  stir  an 


58  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVA  TEERS. 

anchor,  and  if  he  made  any  resistance  "to  board  him  and 
cut  every  soul  to  pieces."  The  seamen  were  accordingly 
forcibly  taken  out  of  the  privateer  and  landed,  their  visions 
of  rich  captures  under  the  famous  and  fortunate  commander 
shattered,  for  they  could  scarcely  have  gone  aboard  as 
simple  passengers  and  non-combatants.  The  St.  George 
put  to  sea  on  the  22nd  of  October  without  the  stores  she 
needed,  and  twenty-four  hours  later  she  was  followed  by 
an  enemy  who  had  been  abiding  his  opportunity.  In  the 
words  of  Captain  Robert  Miller,  ''the  large  French  priva- 
teer of  thirty-eight  guns  and  upwards  of  300  men, 
commanded  by  Captain  Arnoux,  was  in  this  port  at  the 
same  time,  and  sailed  just  twenty-four  hours  after  Wright, 
to  take  him,  as  Wright  was  still  in  sight  of  the  port.  But 
when  the  great  beast  of  a  French  privateer  came  out, 
Wright  played  with  him,  by  sailing  round  him  and  viewing 
him,  &c.,  just  to  aggravate  him,  as  Wright  sailed  twice  as 
fast  as  him  ;  and  indeed  she  is  a  prodigious  dull  sailer  for 
a  privateer,  and  very  crank." 

Williamson's  Advertiser  for  December  3rd,  1756,  stated  : 
"  We  have  advice  by  the  way  of  Marseilles  that  Capt. 
Fortunatus  Wright  has  taken  and  sent  to  Malta  another 
French  ship  bound  from  Sydon  to  Marseilles,  esteemed 
very  rich,  being  laden  chiefly  with  silks,  Burdetts,  and 
cottons.  Great  rewards  and  honours  are  promised  to  any  of 
the  French  privateers  who  shall  take  him.  He  is  a  brave, 
prudent  man,  and  the  only  scourge  the  French  feel  in  those 
seas." 

On  the  loth  December  the  same  journal  published  the 
following,  dated  Florence,  November  20  :  "  On  the  loth 
inst.  anchored  at  Leghorn  a  French  prize,  laden  with 
cotton,  wool,  and  other  goods  from  the  Levant,  valued  at 
about  8,000  dollars,  taken  by  Capt.  Wright,  of  the  St. 
George  privateer,  being  the  fifth  capture  he  has  made  since 
his  departure  from  Leghorn."  The  losses  inflicted  by  this 


CAPTAIN  FORTUNATUS  WRIGHT.  50 

single  privateer  upon  the  commerce  of  France  were  so  great 
that  the  French  King  resolved  to  take  extreme  measures 
for  Wright's  destruction.  Williamson's  Advertiser  of 
December  17,  1756,  contained  the  following  "  extract  of  a 
letter  from  a  house  at  Leghorn  to  a  gentleman  concerned  in 
the  St.  George  privateer,  commanded  by  Capt.  Fortunatus 
Wright, "dated  November  22  :— 

"  The  news  we  have  to  communicate  to  you,  relating"  to 
Capt.  Wright,  is  of  his  further  success  in  the  capture  of  another 
prize  which  he  has  sent  into  Cagliari  ;  we  got  the  notice  the 
day  before  yesterday,  by  a  vessel  from  thence,  particularising 
her  cargo  to  consist  of  4,000  or  5,000  sacks  of  wheat,  which 
we  compute  to  be  worth  ^9,000.  Pray  God  continue  his 
prosperity  and  preserve  him  from  his  cruel  enemies  ;  may  we 
use  this  phrase,  as  we  have  advice  from  Marseilles  that  two 
ships  of  20  guns,  and  a  settee  of  equal  force,  and  all  well- 
manned,  are  there  fitting  out  purposely  for  him,  with  orders 
to  give  him  no  quarter,  but  burn  him  on  board.  We  are 
sorry  to  give  you  this  alarm,  but  a  French  gentleman,  a  friend 
of  ours,  is  now  in  our  house,  and  confirms  every  particular. 
We  have  to  add,  the  disgraceful  situation  we  are  all  in,  and 
the  miserable  state  of  our  trade,  the  French  Privateers  in 
these  seas  being  innumerable.  P.S. — Since  writing  the  above 
our  partner  is  returned  from  the  Consul,  who  has  acquainted 
him  of  the  equipment  against  Capt.  Wright  with  this  addition, 
that  the  two  ships  are  fitting  out  by  the  King  of  France,  and 
the  Settee  by  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  of  Marseilles  ;  and 
that  they  have  orders  to  set  him  on  fire  in  any  road  where  they 
may  find  him." 

Early  in  1757  Wright  seems  to  have  had  more  than  one 
ship  under  his  command.  Among  the  captures  mentioned 
in  the  "Gentleman's  Magazine  "  for  February  is  a  French 
snow,  taken  by  the  King  George,  Wright,  letter  of  marque, 
and  carried  to  Lisbon.  In  the  Liverpool  paper  for  March 
25th,  it  is  said  that  "a  large  privateer  is  fitting  out  for 
Captain  Fortunatus  Wright,  which  is  to  be  sent  to  him  as 


60  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

soon  as  ready,  and  then  he  will  be  commodore  of  three 
ships." 

One  of  the  French  vessels,  fitted  out  especially  for 
Wright's  capture,  or  rather  for  his  utter  destruction,  was 
the  Hirondelle,  of  Toulon.  Mr.  Tatem,  the  British  Consul 
at  Messina,  writing  on  the  iQth  of  January,  1757,  gives  the 
following  account  of  her  reception  by  Wright,  then  in  the 
King  George  : — 

"The  King  George,  Captain  Fortunatus  Wright,  has 
lately  had  two  smart  engagements  in  the  Channel  of  Malta, 
of  three  hours  each  (one  in  the  night,  the  other  by  day), 
with  the  Le  Hirondelle,  a  French  polacca  of  26  guns  and 
283  men  ;  but  notwithstanding  the  great  inequality  in  men, 
o-uns,  and  weight  of  metal,  yet  Captain  Wright  obliged 
nun  to  »neer  off,  and  they  both  put  into  Malta  the  2nd  of 
January  to  refit.  But  poor  Wright  has  met  with  worse 
treatment  there  than  he  did  before,  for  although  he  had 
several  shot  under  water,  which  made  it  absolutely  necessary 
to  heave  down,  yet,  by  the  interest  of  the  French  faction, 
he  was  denied  that  liberty  ;  and  afterwards,  upon  account 
of  two  slaves  having  taken  refuge  on  board  him,  he  has 
been  sequestered  in  port,  and  cut  off  from  all  daily 
provisions,  and  even  water,  till  he  restores  them.  But  as 
the  Jersey  was  hourly  expected  in  Malta,  we  hope  Sir 
William  Burnaby  will  obtain  his  release.  The  Hirondelle 
is  one  of  the  vessels  fitted  out  from  Toulon  expressly  to 
seek  him." 

On  January  22nd  Horace  Mann,  the  British  Minister  at 
Florence,  wrote  to  Mr.  Pitt  that  the  Regency  had  been 
lamenting  the  decay  of  the  Leghorn  trade  ;  that  he  had 
pointed  out  that  their  gross  partiality,  and  their  violent 
action  in  the  matter  of  Fortunatus  Wright,  were  two  of  the 
causes  of  this  decay  ;  that,  yielding  to  these  representa- 
tions, they  had  assured  him  of  their  intention  to  observe  a 
strict  neutrality  ;  and  that,  on  the  strength  of  this,  he  had 


CAPTAIN  FORTUNATUS  WRIGHT.  61 

written  to  Captain  Wright  "that  he  might  send  all  the 
French  prizes  he  had  made  to  Leghorn,  as,  at  my  request, 
he  had  kept  them  in  deposit  till  he  should  hear  from  me 
that  he  might  do  it  with  safety."* 

Two  months  later  he  writes  again,  showing  the  kind  of 
welcome  Wright  would  meet  with  if  he  attempted  to  enter 
the  port  of  Leghorn  : — 

"The  Council  sent  a  gentleman  belonging  to  the  secretary's 
office  to  me,  earnestly  to  desire  that,  in  order  to  avoid  any 
further  inconveniences  with  regard  to  him,  I  would  order 
Captain  Wright  to  keep  at  such  a  distance  from  the  Port  as 
would  not  oblige  the  Government  to  take  any  notice  of  his 
being  there.  .  .  .  Finding  that  they  thought  themselves 
tied  up  by  the  orders  they  received  lately  from  Vienna  with 
regard  to  Captain  Wright,  I  thought  it  my  duty,  purely  for  the 
sake  of  avoiding  any  new  disputes,  to  write  to  the  Consul  in 
the  manner  they  desired.  The  estafette  was  immediately  sent 
back  to  Leghorn  with  my  letter,  in  order  that,  as  soon  as 
Captain  Wright's  vessel  appears  in  sight  of  the  port,  a  bark 
may  be  sent  off  to  him,  with  the  Consul's  directions  not  to 
enter  into  the  harbour." 

In  Williamson's  Advertiser  for  April  ist,  1757,  we  read 
that  "  letters  from  Leghorn,  brought  by  the  Flanders  mail 
yesterday,  advise  that  Capt.  Fortunatus  Wright,  who,  after 
a  hard  engagement  with  a  French  ship  of  superior  force 
followed  her  to  Malta,  has  been  relieved  by  the  Jersey  man 
of  war,  and  were  both  sailed  from  thence,  and  were  expected 
daily  to  arrive  in  Leghorn.  The  Jersey  is  to  convoy  from 
thence  to  England,  four  rich  ships  that  are  armed,  which 
have  been  detained  a  considerable  time  on  account  of  a 
French  man  of  war  and  a  frigate  hovering  off  that  port." 
There  is  a  reference  to  the  detention  of  these  merchant- 
men, and  to  Wright  and  his  prizes  in  an  interesting  letter, 
dated  March  25th,  1/57,  from  Sir  Horace  Mann,  to  Horace 

*  Naval  Studies,  p  222. 


<>2  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS, 

Walpole.  He  alludes  to  the  misery  and  misfortune  of 
Admiral  Byng,  but  he  looked  on  the  sentence  of  death  as 
an  act  of  vigorous  justice.  Without  implying  Voltaire's 
phrase  that  the  Admiral  was  shot  "pour  encourager  les 
autres"  Mann  hoped  that  it  would  give,  courage  to  others. 
He  had  seen  much  of  our  sea  captains  during  his  official 
residence  at  Florence,  and  he  says: —  "  Let  us  hope 
that  the  sentence  may  produce  for  the  future  some  refor- 
mation in  the  conduct  of  our  sea  officers,  which  was  so 
publickly  criticised  in  the  last  war.  I  wish  we  could  see  a 
Fleet  in  these  parts  now.  Something  must  be  done  to 
recover  our  maritime  reputation.  The  sea  swarms  with 
French  Privateers,  who  daily  take  all  the  merchant  ships 
that  venture  out.  I  have  dissuaded  the  people  at  Leghorn 
from  sending  many  ships  away  that  are  laden  for  above  a 
Million  sterling,  which,  we  know,  the  French  have  stationed 
several  Privateers  and  Ships  of  War  to  wait  for.  They  have 
advice  boats  continually  going  backwards  and  forwards, 
and  others  are  at  anchor  at  Porto  (illegible),  to  be  ready  to 
follow  Captain  Wright  and  his  prizes  that  had  taken  refuge 
at  Port  Ferrajo,  from  whence,  if  they  can  escape,  we  daily 
expect  them  at  Leghorn.  A  plan  has  been  agreed  upon  to 
indemnify  the  Captains  of  the  Merchant  Ships,  who  are 
ruined  by  laying,  at  a  vast  expense,  in  port,  by  making 
a  small  average  on  the  goods  they  have  on  board,  other- 
wise they  would  have  ventured  out  at  all  hazards."* 

But  Captain  Wright  was  never  more  to  enter  the  port  of 
Leghorn.  Williamson's  Advertiser,  in  its  London  corres- 
pondence, dated  May  19,  1757,  contained  the  following 
intelligence,  which  must  have  been  received  with  universal 
sorrow  in  the  good  old  town  in  which  the  hero  was  born 
and  bred,  and  of  whose  brave  and  adventurous,  yet  prudent 
spirit,  he  was  the  shining  personification  : — 

*Mann  and  Manners,  vol.  1,  p.  402. 


CAPTAIN  FORTUNA  TUS  WRIGHT.  63 

"A  private  letter  from  Leghorn  brings  advice  that 
Captain  Fortunatus  Wright,  of  the  King  George,  a  Letter 
of  Marque  ship,  having  sailed  from  Malta  with  a  French 
prize  for  the  said  port,  met  with  a  great  storm  on  the  i6th 
of  March,  during  which  the  officer  that  had  charge  of  the 
prize  went  down  into  the  cabin  or  under  the  hatches  to 
bring  up  certain  colours  to  hoist  as  signals  of  distress  or 
danger,  as  there  was  then  a  French  Privateer  in  sight ;  but 
when  he  came  upon  deck  again  the  King  George  was  no 
longer  to  be  seen  ;  so  that  there  is  room  to  fear  this  gallant 
officer,  with  60  stout  fellows,  are  all  gone  to  the  bottom. 
The  prize  made  the  port  of  Leghorn,  and  gave  there  this 
account." 

There  was,  however,  just  one  ray  of  hope  left.  In 
another  corner  of  the  paper  was  printed  a  letter  from  a 
merchant  in  Leghorn  to  the  owners  of  the  Anson  and 
Blakeney  privateers,  dated  May  Qth,  stating  "that  five 
English  sailors,  belonging  to  Capt.  Fortunatus  Wright, 
who  left  Cagliari  on  the  loth  ult.,  and  came  up  in  a  vessel 
belonging  to  Genoa,  inform  me  that  the  Blakeney,  Capt. 
Fowler,  and  Anson,  Capt.  Speers,  were  then  in  Cagliari." 
Commenting  on  this,  the  editor  remarks  :  "his  mentioning 
Capt.  Wright's  sailors  gives  us  some  hopes  that  the 
account  of  the  loss  of  that  brave  man,  mentioned  in  the 
first  page  of  this  paper,  is  premature."  To  cast  further 
doubt  on  the  news  of  Wright's  death  on  the  i6th  of  March, 
there  came  a  letter  from  Leghorn  to  a  merchant  in 
Liverpool,  dated  May  i6th,  which  ran  as  follows  : — 

"I  have  the  pleasure  to  acquaint  you  that  I  have  just 
received  from  our  Consul  at  Messina  an  account  dated  the  26th 
of  April  " — nearly  a  month  after  the  supposed  catastrophe — 
"  of  Capt.  Fortunatus  Wright  being  very  well,  and  has  taken 
another  prize  since  his  departure  from  Malta.  And  as  this 
so  exactly  tallies  with  the  account  I  had  from  the  master  of  a 
Maltese  vessel  arrived  here  last  week  (whom  I  mentioned  in  my 


64  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

last  to  have  seen  him  in  the  Vere  of  Messina),  we  have  no  room 
to  doubt  of  the  truth  of  his  safety,  which  has  given  inexpressible 
pleasure  to  me,  and  a  general  satisfaction  to  all  in  this  place. 
A  Danish  ship,  just  now  arrived  here  from  Tunis  in  eight 
days,  was  visited  six  days  ago,  between  Sardinia  and  Sicily, 
by  the  King  of  Prussia  privateer,  of  your  port,  Capt. 
Maccaffee,  all  well  and  in  high  spirits.  We  are  in  great  hopes 
that  he  and  other  vessels  on  the  same  station  will  meet  with 
great  success,  as  the  Smyrna  French  fleet,  consisting  of  16  or 
1 8  ships,  only  convoyed  by  a  polacca,  who  was  dispatched 
some  time  ago  in  pursuit  of  Capt.  Fortunatus  Wright,  and 
engaged  him  off  Malta,  but  was  bravely  repulsed,  is  soon 
expected  to  sail  for  Marseilles,  for  which  place  is  also  bound  a 
French  polacca  from  Alexandretta,  valued  at  twenty-five 
thousand  pounds  sterling." 

Another  Liverpool  newspaper,  the  Chronicle  and  Marine 
Gazetteer,  of  June  3rd,  1757,  also  published  a  letter  almost 
identical  with  the  above  in  substance,  and  of  the  same  date, 
but  apparently  emanating  from  another  correspondent  at 
Leghorn,  which  ran  as  follows  :  "I  have  just  now  received 
a  letter  from  the  Consul  at  Messina,  of  the  26th  ult.,  with 
the  agreeable  news  that  Capt.  Fortunatus  Wright  was 
arrived  in  that  port  and  had  brought  in  with  him  a  brig 
richly  laden.  A  Danish  vessel  this  day  arrived  from  Tunis, 
was  visited  six  days  ago  by  the  King  of  Prussia  privateer 
of  your  place,  betwixt  the  Islands  of  Sicily  and  Sardinia  ; 
all  well  on  board  and  in  high  spirits.  The  Ambuscade 
man  of  war  has  taken  six  prizes  bound  from  the  Levant  to 
Marseilles,  and  sent  them  to  Malta  and  Messina,  from 
whence  they  are  daily  expected  here  to  be  sold.  She  has 
also  taken  a  French  ship,  and  carried  her  into  Tunis,  which 
the  captain  sold  for  ,£12,000  sterling  ;  which  being  arrived 
here  in  safety  will  sell  for  one  third  more  than  she  cost.  I 
have  letters  from  Smyrna  of  a  fresh  date,  which  mention  16 
or  18  sail  of  French  ships  being  ready  to  sail  under  convoy 


CAPTAIN  FOR TUNATUS  WRIGHT.  65 

of  the  polacca  who  some  time  ago  attacked  and  was  bravely 
repulsed  by  Captain  Fortunatus  Wright  off  Malta.  There  is 
likewise  a  polacca  on  her  departure  from  Alexandretta  for 
Marseilles,  deemed  worth  ,£30,000  sterling;  which  I  am 
in  hopes  will  fall  into  the  hands  of  some  of  our  cruisers  in 
these  seas." 

"Captain  Fortunatus  Wright,"  adds  the  editor  of  the 
Chronicle,  "  a  gentleman  of  this  town  who  in  the  last  and 
present  war,  in  a  small  privateer,  gained  immortal  honour, 
and  the  universal  esteem  of  his  country,  by  distressing  the 
enemy,  and  defending  himself  in  a  surprising  manner 
against  superior  force,  at  sundry  times  set  out  on  purpose  to 
take  him,  was  lately  reported  to  be  lost  in  a  hard  gale  of 
wind  ;  but  by  this  day's  post  we  have  certain  accounts  of 
his  being  safe  in  the  Bay  of  Messina  with  a  prize.  This 
joyful  news  gives  every  true  Briton  a  sensible  pleasure,  and 
must  certainly  animate  every  heroic  soul  with  a  noble 
spirit  of  emulation  ;  that  should  adverse  fortune  crush  them 
in  the  service  of  their  country,  their  fall  may  be  justly 
lamented,  as  his  supposed  one  was — which  we  are  glad  to 
say  was  premature." 

Then  follow  these  lines,  which  we  reproduce  more  as  a 
curiosity  than  as  a  model  for  future  Dibdins  and  Bennetts  :— 

"  O.\  THE  UNIVERSALLY-ACCEPTED  AND  AGREEABLE  NEWS  OF  THE 
ARRIVAL  OF  THE  BRAVE  CAPTAIN  FORTUNATUS  WRIGHT  AT 
MESSINA,  IN  SICILY. 

"  He  lives,  he  lives  !  in  spite  of  all  his  foes — 
Celestial  Pow'rs  were  pleas'd  to  interpose  ; 
He  lives  to  conquer — lift  the  Flag-  on  high, 
And  let  the  joyful  cannon  greet  the  sky. 

"  Through  ev'ry  part  of  Britain,  let  the  joy 
Touch  ev'ry  Briton — ev'ry  Gaul  annoy  ; 
To  ev'ry  heart,  as  on  th'  electric  mass 
The  quick  pervading  joy  shall  sudden  pass  ; 


66  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

All  feel  at  once  the  permeating  stroke, 

The  pleasing-  shock,  for  this  their  Heart  of  Oak. 

"  At  the  masthead,  see  ev'ry  streamer  flies, 
To  recompense  the  streamers  of  our  eyes. 
Britannia  wept  !  reverse  of  tears,  she  smiles  ; 
Her  son  is  safe,  the  glory  of  her  isles  ! 

"  Her  tears  encreased  old  Ocean's  briny  tide  ; 

Her  heaving  sighs  the  tempest's  breath  supply'd  ; 
Her  sighs  and  tears  had  rais'd  the  tempest  high, 
And  raging  winds  had  sung  his  elegy  ; 
When  Neptune  from  the  hoary  billows  rais'd 
His  awful  head — the  storm  was  all  appeas'd  ; 
The  rocking  winds,  in  deep  attention's  form 
Bend  forward — and  he  thus  harangues  the  storm  : 

<(  Britannia  is  my  bride— ye  winds  obey  ; 
Be  still  thou  tempest — be  at  rest  thou  sea  : 
This  is  my  son — convey  him  to  yon  coast 
And  let  Britannia  know,   He  is  not  lost. 
Bid  her  suspend  her  tears — her  darling  Wright, 
Her  Fortunatus  still  survives  to — Fight. 
What,  tho'  a  price  on  his  devoted  head 
Was  set  by  France,  who  wish'd,  and  thought  him  dead  ; 
For  why  ?     His  arm  was  equal  to  a  Fleet ! 
Tell  her  no  wave  shall  be  his  winding-sheet  ; 
That—Y\\  prevent — If  war  has  doomed  his  fall, 
It  must  be,  shall  be — from  a  Cannon  Ball.  " 

Notwithstanding  the  above  statements  that  Wright  was 
quite  well  and  active,  and  had  been  actually  seen  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  Messina  when  he  was  supposed  to  be  at 
the  bottom  of  the  sea,  and  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  both 
"Lloyd's  List"  and  the  "Gentleman's  Magazine"  for  June, 
1757,  state  that  "the  St.  George  Privateer,  Capt.  Fortunatus 
Wright,  has  carried  into  Messina  a  French  brig,  richly 
loaded,"  the  fate  of  the  hero  remains  a  mystery  to  this  day. 


CAPTAIN  FORTUNATUS  WRIGHT.  67 

There  may  have  been  good  grounds  for  the  local  tradition 
mentioned  by  Smithers,  that  Wright  fell  a  victim  to 
political  interests.  He  had  plenty  of  powerful  enemies 
ashore,  and  was  always  safer  on  the  high  seas,  whatever 
might  be  the  odds  against  him.  With  British  oak  beneath 
his  foot,  the  British  flag  aloft,  and  a  sprinkling  of  English 
seamen  among  his  crew,  he  was  afraid  of  nothing  afloat. 

Sir  Horace  Mann,  writing  on  the  2nd  of  July,  1757,  says  : 
"The  trade  of  Leghorn,  upon  which  the  .wealth  of  this 
whole  state  chiefly  depends,  is  reduced  to  the  lowest  ebb, 
insomuch  that  the  arrival  in  the  port  of  a  single  prize  a  few 
days  ago,  was  looked  upon  as  an  object  of  such  importance, 
and  exaggerated  by  the  Italians  in  terms  that  sufficiently 
showed  that  they  are  now  convinced  how  much  their 
welfare  depends  upon  the  navigation  of  the  English 
merchant  ships  not  being  interrupted.  The  French  have 
many  tartans  disguised,  but  well  armed,  that  cruise  between 
Leghorn  and  Porto  Ferrajo,  ready  on  all  occasions  to 
intercept  such  as  are  of  no  force,  at  the  [same]  time  that 
they  can  run  near  the  shore  when  a  ship  of  any  strength 
appears.  A  few  stout  privateers,  as  in  the  last  war,  would 
totally  prevent  this,  and  they  would  enrich  themselves  by 
the  French  vessels  from  Marseilles  that  would  fall  into 
their  hands.  Captain  Wright,  of  the  St.  George  privateer, 
did  great  service  of  this  kind  in  the  beginning  of  the  war  ; 
but  it  is  feared  by  some  circumstances,  and  by  his  not 
having  been  heard  of  for  some  months,  that  he  foundered 
at  sea.  Several  prizes  made  by  him  have  lain  some  months 
at  Cagliari  in  Sardinia,  waiting  for  an  opportunity  to  get 
with  safety  to  Leghorn." 

The  English  prestige  in  the  Mediterranean  had  been 
reduced  to  a  low  ebb  through  the  incompetence  of  the 
Government  at  home  and  the  lethargy  of  the  naval 
commander-in-chief  on  the  station,  and  the  only  English- 
man whose  name  was  a  terror  to  the  French  had  mysteriously 


68  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVA  TEERS. 

disappeared  from  the  seas.  But  the  power  of  England  was 
going  to  be  felt  in  those  quarters  where  it  was  most  despised 
and  hated.  A  merchant  in  Leghorn,  writing  on  the  i8th 
of  July,  1757,  to  a  house  in  Liverpool,  said,  "Last  night 
arrived  here  Admiral  Osborne  with  seven  sail  of  men  of  war, 
who  has  instructions  to  demand  satisfaction  of  the  Maltese 
for  their  cruel  behaviour  towards  the  brave  Capt.  Fortunatus 
Wright,  whom  we  have  great  reason  to  fear  is  no  more, 
and  we  are  in  hopes  he  will  see  justice  done  to  the  other 
privateers  who  have  had  the  misfortune  to  carry  their  prizes 
into  their  ports." 

Again,  in  Williamson's  Advertiser  of  August  27th,  we 
read  that  "  there  are  letters  from  Leghorn  which  mention 
that  Admiral  Osborne,  who  arrived  there  with  seven  men 
of  war  on  the  i7th,  was  fitting  for  sea  with  all  expedition, 
having  received  advice  that  five  French  men  of  war  were 
preparing  to  sail  from  Malta  for  Toulon,  whom  he  expected 
to  meet  with  in  their  passage  ;  after  which  he  was  going  to 
Malta,  to  demand  satisfaction  of  the  Maltese,  for  their 
injurious  behaviour  to  the  captains  of  several  of  our  priva- 
teers, particularly  to  the  brave  Captain  Fortunatus  Wright." 

We  cannot  close  this  account  of  one  whose  career  has 
been  justly  described  as  "  more  romantic  than  any 
romance,"  and  as  "a  succession  of  romances,"  in  a  more 
appropriate  manner  than  by  quoting  the  following  character- 
istic stories,  both  relating  to  the  period  when  Wright  was 
cruising  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Malta.  The  first  is 
related  by  the  author  of  "  Naval  Studies,"  "  on  the  authority 
of  the  first  Earl  of  Charlemont,*  who  says  it  came  to  his 
knowledge  during  his  residence  at  Malta,  about  1750,  and 
was  told  to  him  '  by  the  most  credible  eye-witnesses.'  No 
names  are  mentioned,  but  there  is  scarcely  room  for  doubt 
that  the  hero  of  it  was  Fortunatus  Wright.  He  is  described 

*  Memoirs  of  James  Caulfield,  Earl  of  Charlemont,  by  Francis  Hardy,  vol  ir 
p.  47,  etc.  Laughton's  "Naval  Studies,"  p.  212. 


CAPTAIN  FORTUNATUS  WRIGHT  69 

by  Lord  Charlemont  as  a  captain  commanding  an  English 
privateer  of  some  force,  and    'of   such    skill   and   bravery 
that  he   reigned   paramount   in    the    Mediterranean,    daily 
sending  into  the  port  of  Malta  French  prizes  of  considerable 
value.'     In  a  society  such  as  then  ruled  in  Valetta,   this 
stirred   up   much  angry  feeling,   the  Austrians  and   Pied- 
montese  jeering  the  French  or  Spaniards,  and  many  duels 
took  place  in  consequence.    At  length  the  French  knights, 
irritated  beyond  measure  by  the  taunts  of  their  adversaries, 
and   the  continued  success  of  the  English  captain,  deter- 
mined to  put  a  summary  stop  to  both,   and   sent   urgent 
representations  to  Marseilles,   in  consequence  of  which  an 
armed  vessel,  of  force  almost  double  that  of  the  Englishman, 
was  specially  equipped  and  sent  to  Malta  under  the  com- 
mand of  '  an  officer  of  the  highest  character  for  courage  and 
naval  knowledge.'     After  being  duly  feted  by  the  French 
party  he  sailed  out  of  harbour  to  look  for  the  Englishman, 
as  to  a  certain  victory.     Days  passed  by  ;  both  parties  were 
aglow  with  expectation,  and  the   ramparts  on  the  sea  front 
were  constantly  thronged  with  anxious  crowds.     Two  ships 
at  last  appeared  in  sight.     As  they  came  nearer  it  was  seen 
that  the  one  was  towing  the  other  ;   that  the  one  was  the 
French  ship  for  wThich  they  were  looking  ;    that  the  other 
was  much  shattered.     They  hoisted   French  colours,  and 
who  so  jubilant  as  the  French   knights  !     Amid  exulting 
cheers  they  turned  into  the  harbour,  between  St.  Elmo  and 
Ricasoli.     All  Valetta,  Senglea,  and  II  Borgo  were  called 
to   witness   the   triumph   of  the    French  ;   when — O   cruel 
disappointment  ! — the    white    flag    suddenly    disappeared, 
giving    place   to   the   victorious    flag   of    England.      The 
Marseilles  ship  was  a  prize  to  the  English  privateer." 

The  second  story,  entitled  "The  History  of  Selim,  from 
the  Armenian's  Letters,"  represents  Captain  Wright  as 
acting  a  very  noble  part.  Though  extremely  romantic,  the 
incidents  are  neither  impossible  nor  improbable.  The 


70  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

French  privateer  mentioned  in  the  story  appears  to  fit  in 
very  well  with  the  Hirondelle,  sent  out  from  Toulon  to 
seek  Wright,  and  whom  he  fought  in  the  Channel  of  Malta. 


THE    HISTORY   OF   SELIM,    FROM   THE    ARMENIAN'S 
LETTERS.* 

AGAINST  the  inclination,  yet  not  without  consent  of  my 
parents,  I  quitted  Armenia,  and  embarked  on  board  a 
Genoese  trading  vessel,  proposing  to  study  the  civil  and 
military  discipline  of  Emanuel  Victor,  the  great  Prince  of 
Sardinia.  While  I  was  in  daily  expectation  of  seeing 
Genoa,  our  ship  was  taken  by  a  Spanish  vessel  navigated 
by  corsairs.  We  were  soon  loaded  with  irons;  and  though 
I  was  treated  more  favourably  than  others  on  a  religious 
account,  yet  I  was  robbed  of  the  money  which  I  had 
designed  for  the  expenses  of  travelling,  excepting  a  few 
sequins  that  lay  concealed  in  my  clothes.  As  soon  as  we 
arrived  at  Oran  we  were  thrown  into  a  loathsome  dungeon, 
guarded  by  Spaniards  ;  and  the  little  lenity  that  appeared 
was  now  shown  to  the  Christians.  Their  clothes  were 
restored,  while  I  was  stripped  of  my  outer  garment  ;  their 
allowance  of  victuals  was  usually  greater,  and  I  was  often 
compelled  to  labour,  while  my  fellow  prisoners  were 
indulged  with  ease.  In  this  state  I  continued  seven 
months,  and  then  I  was,  with  five  others,  sold  to  a  young 
Moor,  and  conveyed  with  my  companions  to  a  spacious 
house  two  miles  distant  from  Oran,  near  a  little  village 
called  Arzew,  where  the  uncle  of  this  young  Moor  had  laid 
out  a  plan  of  spacious  gardens,  the  labour  of  which  was 
reserved  for  me  and  my  companions.  As  soon  as  we 
arrived  our  fetters  were  removed,  for  our  escape  was 
impossible,  the  house  and  intended  garden  being  enclosed 

*  The  "Gentleman's  Magazine,"  for  the  year  1757,  pp  367-9. 


CAPTAIN  FORTUNATUS  WRIGHT.  71 

in  some  places  by  a  wall  20  feet  high,  and  in  others  by  a 
broad   trench,   and   keepers   were   constantly  employed  to 
watch    us.       Here    I    continued    labouring   three   months, 
without   any   hopes   of    redemption,    sometimes    amusing 
myself    with   the   flowers   and   fruit    trees,    and   at    others 
conversing  in  the  Arabic  tongue,  of  which,  from  the  know- 
ledge I  had  before  my  captivity,  and  my  intercourse  with 
some  captives  in  the  prison,   I  had  now  attained  an  easy 
pronunciation.     My  country  dress  being  permitted  to  me, 
the  native  slaves  were  kinder  to  me  than  to  the  Christians  ; 
and  becoming  an   interpreter  among  them,   I    acquired  a 
sort  of  pre-eminence  that  gave   me  opportunities  of  doing 
my  fellow  captives  little  offices,  which  society  in  distress 
will  extort  from  the  most  savage.     But  the  severe  labour  to 
which  we  were  daily  confined  began  to  waste  my  strength. 
Our  keepers   remitted   nothing  of  their  watchfulness  over 
us,   nor  the  young  Moor  of  his  care  over  them.      Not  an 
hour  of  the  day  passed  wherein  his  eye  was  not  upon  our 
labour.     He  delighted  in  seeing  us  faint  beneath  our  loads; 
and    once    when    I    tottered   beneath  a  heavy  burthen    he 
ordered  fifty  lashes  to  a  Christian  who  ran  to  support  me. 

After  three  months'  toil  in  the  midst  of  an  inclement 
winter,  the  spring  began  to  open,  and  brought  with  it  a 
sweetness  and  beauty  that  would  have  relieved  any  but 
slaves,  who  had  once  been  happy,  and  now,  by  no  crime, 
were  condemned  to  misery.  Sometimes  I  had  thoughts  of 
telling  the  Moor  who  I  was,  and  exciting  his  pity  by  a 
recital  of  my  misfortunes  ;  but  he  appeared  so  avaricious 
that  should  he  know  that  I  was  the  son  of  a  Turkish  Aga 
his  demands  would  be  greater  than  my  friends  could  satisfy ; 
wherefore,  I  resolved  to  bear  my  afflictions  in  silence,  and 
leave  the  event  to  God.  As  soon  as  the  year  began  to 
blossom,  news  was  brought  me  by  the  native  slaves  that 
the  uncle  of  the  young  Moor  and  his  family  were  arrived 
at  his  country  seat,  and  that  in  three  days  the  young  Moor 


72  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

would  set  out  for  Oran  to  inspect  the  affairs  of  his  uncle  in 
that  city.  The  joy  which  I  felt  for  a  few  moments  was 
little  short  of  what  freedom  would  have  given  ;  but  the 
natives  soon  informed  me  that  the  uncle  was  more  avari- 
cious, cruel,  and  perfidious  than  his  nephew  ;  that  having 
no  sons,  he  had  preferred  his  nephew  to  the  inheritance  of 
his  large  possessions,  and  that  he  had  one  favourite  daughter 
whom  he  designed  for  his  wife.  The  hopes  conceived 
from  a  change  of  masters  now  vanished,  and  I  considered 
myself  as  one  of  those  unfortunate  wretches  destined  to  walk 
through  peril  and  toil,  without  any  ray  of  comfort  to  cheer 
them  in  their  passage.  Two  days  passed  and  the  uncle 
had  not  set  his  foot  in  the  garden,  being  troubled  with  a 
disorder  common  in  that  country  to  many  of  his  age  and 
sedentary  life  ;  yet  he  was  carried  to  a  window,  where,  as 
our  keeper  said,  he  constantly  observed  us  ;  and  indeed  the 
keeper  often  raised  his  voice,  and  exercised  the  lash,  to 
demonstrate  his  strict  attendance  of  us.  Four  days  after, 
the  old  man's  disorder  so  increased,  that  being  no  longer 
able  to  approach  his  window,  he  was  confined  to  his  bed. 
During  this  time  the  severity  of  our  keepers  somewhat 
abated;  the  daughter  of  the  Moor  also,  who  came  at  her 
father's  request  to  oversee  the  garden,  would  often  bring 
fruits  and  other  pleasing  refreshments  to  the  native  slaves, 
of  whom  she  enquired  concerning  us,  and  frequently  would 
recommend  to  them  to  treat  us  tenderly.  As  the  Moors 
rise  early,  no  morning  passed  whereon  she  did  not  visit  the 
house  of  the  native  slaves,  and  never  went  unprovided,  so 
that  she  became  their  idol.  When  she  had  visited  the 
natives,  she  was  often  seen  to  pass  through  a  shady  walk 
into  a  greenhouse  near  the  dwelling  of  the  captives,  where 
some  conjectured  she  paid  her  devotions,  and  others  that 
she  watched  the  labourers.  But  whatever  might  be  the 
cause,  it  was  observed  that  when  the  natives  carried  no 
part  of  their  extraordinary  provisions  to  us  unhappy 


CAPTAIN  FORTUNATUS  WRIGHT.  73 

captives,  the  next  day  she  omitted  her  kindness  to  them  ; 
thus  our  captivity  was  lightened.  I  once  more  indulged 
hopes  of  escape,  and  laboured  more  cheerfully  than  ever. 
On  the  2Oth  March,  just  as  our  labour  was  begun,  our 
young  benefactress  surveyed  the  whole  garden,  and  having 
passed  the  Moors,  approached  where  the  captives  were 
employed;  drawing  her  veil  entirely  down,  and  wrapping 
herself  in  a  hyke  of  blue  satin,  she  spoke  to  them  as  she 
passed,  and  coming  near  to  me,  who  was  last  in  the  lot  of 
ground,  and  then  had  a  heavy  burthen  on  my  shoulders,  she 
turned  her  face,  still  covered,  towards  mine,  and  laying  her 
right  hand  on  her  breast — which  is  the  Moorish  salutation,— 
said,  in  a  gentle  tone,  "Holy  Alia  relieve  thee,  stranger."" 
Many  days  passed,  and  some  of  my  fellow  captives  became 
so  reconciled  to  captivity,  that  if  the  uncle  and  nephew  had 
been  removed  they  would  have  been  easily  persuaded  to 
serve  Zaida  while  they  lived.  But  the  indulgence  we 
received  only  gave  me  more  time  to  reflect  on  my  hard 
fortune,  and  one  night,  while  I  was  stretched  on  a  grass 
plot  along  the  side  of  the  Moor's  palace,  singing  a 
mournful  history  of  my  misfortunes,  I  was  surprised  by  a 
loud  knocking  at  the  gate  and  the  neighing  of  horses  ; 
and  instantly  a  soft,  disordered  voice  from  a  window 
above  said  trembling  and  hastily:  "70  thy  apartment, 
stranger;  Morat !  Morat !  Alia  guard  thee."  I  fled, 
blessing  the  voice  that  warned  me,  and  spent  a  tedious 
night  in  broken  dreams  and  waking  expectations  of 
cruelty  from  Morat,  by  whom  such  expectations  were 
never  disappointed.  In  the  morning,  long  before  the 
sun,  he  had  surveyed  the  garden,  and  finding  our  labour 
had  not  equalled  his  desire,  with  his  first  salutation  he 
struck  me  to  the  ground,  and,  before  I  recovered,  three  of 
my  companions  were  lying  speechless.  While  he  was 
proceeding  in  his  cruelty,  a  slave  came  pale  and  breathless 
from  the  house,  and  faltering  could  only  pronounce  : 


74  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

"  Zaida,  Zaida  no  more"  Morat  persevered,  and  having 
given  each  captive  his  blow,  returned  to  the  house. 
Bruised  and  dejected  we  groaned  through  the  day's  fatigue ; 
but  neither  the  bruises  nor  the  toil  preyed  on  my  mind  so 
much  as  a  fear  and  desire  to  know  what  had  befallen  our 
young  benefactress.  Weariness  brought  with  it  no  rest. 
I  lay  all  night  sleepless,  and  before  daybreak  heard  our 
keepers  relating  that  Zaida,  having  beheld  the  first  mark 
of  her  cousin's  cruelty  to  the  captives,  had  fainted  and 
continued  some  moments  lifeless;  that  a  cry  that  she  was 
dead  had  reached  Zelebin's — her  father's — ear,  and  so 
afflicted  him,  that  even  her  recovery  added  little  to  his,  the 
sudden  joy  rather  oppressing  him  the  more  ;  and,  lastly, 
that  Morat  was  gone  to  Oran,  being  called  thither  by 
sudden  business.  I  rose  overjoyed,  and  informed  my  fellow- 
prisoners  that  the  storm  was  over.  The  next  day  Zaida 
walked  twice  through  the  garden,  carefully  observing  us 
through  her  veil,  and  as  she  passed  by  me  twice  repeated 
the  Aslemash,  pressing  her  hand  more  closely  to  her 
breast,  and  saying,  "  Alia  guard  thee."  Zelebin's  disorder 
increased,  and  the  fright  had  occasioned  a  fever,  which  was 
likely  to  prove  fatal.  On  the  28th  of  March  it  was  my 
lot  to  be  employed  under  the  greenhouse  to  which  Zaida 
usually  paid  her  morning  visit;  nor  did  she  fail  that  day  ; 
for  I  had  scarce  taken  the  spade  in  my  hand  when  I  saw 
her  veiled  at  the  window.  When  the  course  of  my  spade 
had  brought  me  under  the  window,  she  dropped  a  tulip, 
with  which  she  had  been  playing,  at  my  feet ;  I  took  it  up, 
and  ran  round  the  building  to  present  it  to  her,  but  before 
I  could  reach  the  entrance  she  was  gone.  I  returned, 
admiring  the  largeness  and  colour  of  the  flower,  and  was 
struck  by  characters  like  letters  in  the  inside.  Examining 
more  attentively,  I  found  the  tulip  lined  with  two  folds  of 
fine  paper,  which  I  took  out,  and  hardly  had  conveyed  to 
my  pocket  when  one  of  the  keepers  approached  and  took 


CAPTAIN  FORTUNATUS  WRIGHT.  75 

the  flower  from  me.  With  what  impatience  did  I  labour 
through  the  day  !  Evening  came,  and  being-  alone  in  my 
cell,  I  read  the  following  letter  :— 

"  Holy  Alia  protect  thee,  stranger  ;  I  have  enquired  much 
concerning  thee,  and  feel  a  sharp  pain  when  I  see  thee 
treated  cruelly.  If  thou  seekest  thy  freedom,  I  will  contrive 
to  give  it,  for  I  am  loved  by  my  father's  servants,  who  will 
not  betray  me.  I  have  provided  for  thee  a  Moorish  turban, 
and  a  rich  hyke,  in  which  thou  mayest  pass  concealed. 
There  is  another  present  which  I  would  give  thee,  but  thou 
shalt  see  it  first,  for  it  may  be  burthensome  to  thee.  If 
thou  wilt  be  early  with  thy  spade  at  the  greenhouse,  I  will 
shew  thee  what  I  would  give  thee.  Be  cheerful,  stranger, 
for  if  Alia  will  permit,  I  will  do  thee  much  good." 

All  the  impatience  of  the  day  equalled  not  the  restlessness 
of  the  night.  I  was  up  before  the  birds,  and  at  day-break 
the  spade  was  in  the  earth  ;  Zaida  came  with  the  sun,  and 
observing  none  near  but  me  she  threw  back  her  veil,  and 
looking  on  me  with  a  sweet  confusion,  dropped  another 
tulip  and  retired.  It  was  the  first  time  I  had  seen  her  face, 
and  some  moments  passed  before  I  could  take  my  eyes  from 
the  window.  I  conveyed  the  flower  to  my  pocket-book,  and 
worked  through  the  day  in  a  hurry  of  joy  that  was  painful  to 
support.  The  burthen  of  the  tulip  was  this  : — 

"  Stranger,  thou  hast  now  seen  what  I  would  give  thee  ; 
but  then  I  would  have  thee  ask  it.  I  will  consent  to  be  thy 
wife  if  thou  wilt  take  me  with  thee  to  thy  own  country. 
There  is  a  French  ship  now  near  Arzew,  and  the  French 
will  carry  us  anywhere  for  money.  But  say  not  thou  wilt 
take  me,  if  thou  hatest  me.  Speak  thy  mind,  for  I  will  do 
thee  good  in  whatever  way  thou  desirest.  Holy  Alia  watch 
over  thee." 

With  my  pencil  I  wrote  the  following  answer  at  the  back 
of  her  letter  :— 

"  Great  Alia  reward  thee,  gentle  Moor  ;   I   will   not  only 


76  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

ask  what  them  shewedst  to  me  this  morning  ;  but  I  call  our 
prophet  to  witness  that  I  will  have  no  other  wife  but  thee. 
Whatever  thou  desirest  I  will  do  ;  but  there  is  one  captive 
who  hath  been  kind  to  me,  and  I  would  free  him  too." 

This  she  received  from  the  window,  and  retiring  a  few 
minutes,  returned  and  said  in  her  native  tongue  :  "  Be  thou 
and  thy  captive  friend  at  the  garden  door  to-morrow  at  nine 
of  the  night." 

The  wished-for  evening  came,  and  Zaida  with  her  own 
hands  opened  the  door,  attended  by  a  faithful  servant,  and 
informed  me  that  her  father  could  not  live  another  night  ; 
that  horses  and  dresses  were  ready,  and  she  had  sent  by  her 
servant  to  a  hut  on  the  waterside  all  the  money  with  which 
her  father  had  entrusted  her  ;  and  that  a  French  privateer 
was  preparing  to  sail  in  less  than  two  hours.  I  urged  her 
immediate  departure,  and  she  gave  me  a  turban  and  a  satin 
hyke,  and  my  fellow  captive  the  coarse  dress  of  a  slave, 
covering  herself  in  the  like  garment,  that  all  might  pass  as 
my  servants.  Thus  prepared,  we  walked  silently  from  the 
house  before  ten,  and  at  a  small  distance  mounting  our 
horses,  arrived  in  a  short  time  at  the  hut.  The  captive 
Swede,  whom  I  had  released,  immediately  went  on  board 
the  privateer  to  learn  her  destination,  and  was  informed 
that  she  had  orders  to  cruise  near  Malta,  in  order  to  take  a 
bold  Englishman,  called  Fortunatus  Wright  ;  and  if  the 
winds  would  permit,  we  should  be  landed  in  that  island. 
In  a  few  minutes  we  sailed,  and  the  next  morning  were 
many  miles  distant  from  Africa. 

Ten  days  were  passed  before  we  obtained  a  sight  of  Malta, 
and  we  had  scarce  dreamed  of  landing  there  when  a  signal 
was  made  for  standing  out  to  sea  in  pursuit  of  a  ship,  which 
upon  a  nearer  view  was  found  to  be  the  very  privateer  which 
the  French  captain  had  orders  to  take.  Instantly  I  ran 
down,  took  Zaida  in  my  arms,  and  supported  her  courage 
with  all  the  animating  words  I  was  master  of.  Once  she 


CAPTAIN  FORTUNATUS  WRIGHT.  77 

sunk  upon  my  breast,  and  I  had  but  just  recovered  her 
when  the  signal  was  made  for  the  engagement.  The  fire 
became  hot,  and  the  conflict  bloody.  I  continued  com- 
forting Zaida  till  the  event  became  doubtful,  when  pretending 
to  her  we  were  victorious,  I  sprung  upon  the  deck,  and 
observing  that  the  English  endeavoured  to  board  us  ahead, 
I  slew  the  first  who  attempted  our  deck,  and  beckoning  to 
the  French  to  follow  me,  leapt  on  board  the  enemy's 
ship,  unseconded  by  any,  excepting  my  Swedish  fellow- 
captive,  who  seeing  me  overpowered,  leapt  back  and 
regained  his  ship.  Thus  I  was  made  a  prisoner,  and  my 
fair  Moor  left  a  prey  to  all  the  wretchedness  of  despair. 
After  several  vain  attempts  to  board  each  other,  the  two 
ships  parted,  the  French  steered  towards  France,  and  I  was 
carried  into  Malta.  Good  heaven  !  how  soon  was  changed 
the  gladsome  prospect  of  happiness  to  the  darkest  view  of 
misery  !  The  good  captain,  whose  prisoner  I  was,  observing 
my  despondence,  ordered  me  to  be  set  free,  though  I  had 
killed  one  of  his  men  ;  and  when  I  informed  him,  by  a 
Maltese  interpreter,  of  my  unhappy  story,  and  my  resolution 
to  go  in  quest  .of  Zaida,  he  gave  me  one  hundred  guineas, 
and  advised  me  to  sail  for  England  ;  "  where,  though  I  am 
unhappily  exiled  from  it,"  said  he,  "  you  will  be  generously 
treated,  and  will  hear  the  fate  of  the  French  privateer."  He 
then  informed  me  of  her  name,  and  the  port  from  which  she 
was  sent;  "when  you  find  that  she  is  landed,  you  will 
then  be  at  liberty,"  said  he,  "  to  visit  France,  and  if  the 
French  captain  be  generous  as  he  seems  brave,  he  will 
restore  his  passenger  with  all  her  possessions."  He  recom- 
mended me  to  an  English  captain  then  at  Malta,  and  having 
kindly  wished  me  good  fortune,  we  parted. 

Two  long  months  I  was  tossed  at  sea  ;  on  the  loth  of 
August  we  arrived  at  our  destined  port,  where  the  first 
object  that  struck  my  eyes  was  the  French  vessel  in  which  I 
left  the  lovely  Zaida.  ;  hope  and  fear  almost  deprived  me  of 


78  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVA  TEERS. 

reason  ;  with  difficulty  I  told  the  captain  all  my  story,  and 
he,  with  the  readiness  of  friendship,  sent  his  boat  to  enquire 
whether  any  woman  were  taken  prisoner  on  board  the  French 
prize  ;  but  we  received  no  information,  for  the  sailors  who 
then  manned  the  ship  were  strangers  to  her  captain.  We 
landed  at  a  fair  town,*  on  the  banks  of  a  small  river  called 
Avon  ;  and  the  captain,  who  had  not  drowned  his  humanity 
in  the  rough  element  on  which  he  traded,  conveyed  me  to 
the  prison,  where  after  searching  various  apartments,  at 
last  I  found  my  fair  afflicted  Zaida  lying  on  the  ground 
with  her  head  on  the  lap  of  her  woman,  and  the  Swede 
sitting  near  to  guard  her.  As  soon  as  she  saw  me  her  voice 
failed  her  ;  I  had  almost  lost  her  by  an  agony  of  astonish- 
ment and  joy  as  soon  as  I  had  recovered  her.  Hours  were 
counted  ere  she  would  believe  her  senses,  and  even  days 
passed  over  us,  in  which  she  sat  with  a  silent  admiration, 
and  even  still  doubts  whether  all  is  real. 


*  Bristol. 


79 


CHAPTER    III. 

PRIVATEERS   OF  THE   SEVEN   YEARS'   WAR. 

IN  1745,  Captain  Robinson,  who  had  put  into  the  Isle  of 
Skye  during  his  passage  from  the  Baltic,  brought  the  news 
to  Liverpool  that  the  Young  Pretender  had  landed  in 
Scotland.  An  express  was  immediately  despatched  to  the 
Secretary  of  State  with  this  important  intelligence,  and 
vigorous  preparations  were  made  to  defend  the  town  in 
case  of  attack.  The  sum  of  ,£6,000  was  quickly  contributed 
to  defray  expenses  ;  and  a  regiment  called  the  "Liverpool 
Blues,"  900  strong,  was  raised  from  amongst  the  inhabi- 
tants. The  Jacobites  passed  within  16  miles  of  Liverpool, 
but  did  not  dare  to  risk  an  encounter  with  the  local  forces. 
When  the  Duke  of  Cumberland  pursued  the  retreating 
insurgents,  the  Blues,  thirsting  for  glory,  joined  his  army 
and  assisted  at  the  siege  of  Carlisle. 

In  1746,  one  of  the  most  gallant  defences  recorded  in 
naval  annals  was  made  by  Captain  Nehemiah  Holland 
and  crew,  of  the  Liverpool  ship  Ann  Galley,  bound  for 
Antigua.  Her  crew  consisted  of  14  men,  with  four  guns 
of  one-and-a-half  inch  bore,  six  muskets,  six  pistols,  and 
six  cutlasses.  When  in  sight  of  Antigua,  she  was  attacked 
by  a  French  privateer,  mounting  10  six-pounders,  with  100 
men.  The  action  was  fought  in  view  of  the  people  on  the 
island.  The  French  boarded  the  Ann  Galley  three  several 
times,  but  were  driven  back  each  time  with  considerable 
loss,  leaving,  ultimately,  18  of  their  crew  dead  on  the 
English  ship,  and  50  to  60  wounded  on  their  own  vessel. 
The  Ann  Galley  did  not  lose  a  single  man.  The  defence 


SO  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

was  conducted  with  considerable  skill.  Preparations  had 
been  made  by  barricades  to  protect  the  crew  against 
boarding  ;  and  trains  of  powder  were  laid  to  explode  every 
time  the  assault  was  made,  which  wrought  havoc  amongst 
the  boarders.  The  Ann  Galley  took  fire  twice  during  the 
engagement.  In  a  list  of  Liverpool  ships,  published  in 
1753,  she  appears  as  a  Guineaman,  owned  by  Messrs.  Wm. 
Whalley  &  Co.,  carrying  340  slaves,  and  still  commanded 
by  the  valiant  Nehemiah. 

On  the  ship's  return  to  Liverpool,  Captain  Holland 
was  presented  by  his  owners  with  a  silver  punch  bowl, 
containing  two  gallons,  with  the  following  inscription 
engraved  : — 

"The  gift  of  the  owners,  to  Nehemiah  Holland,  Captain 
of  the  Ann  Galley,  who,  with  inimitable  bravery,  preserved 
and  defended  her  against  the  infinitely  superior  force  of  a 
French  enemy,  August  21,  1746."* 

In  1749,  a  Liverpool  privateer  captured  a  French  sloop 
of  war  called  Le  Lion  D'Or,  which  was  subsequently  con- 
verted into  a  whaling  vessel.  As  the  Golden  Lion,  she 
sailed  from  Liverpool  in  1750  for  the  Greenland  fishery, 
being  the  first  vessel  from  Liverpool  to  engage  in  the  trade. 
In  the  Mayer  Collection  in  the  Public  Museum,  William 
Brown  Street,  is  a  noble  punch  bowl,  seventeen  and  a-half 
inches  in  diameter,  presented  in  1753  to  Captain  Metcalf,  of 
the  ship  Golden  Lion,\yy  his  employers,  on  the  completion 
of  her  second  successful  voyage  in  the  Greenland  Whale 
Fishery.  It  is  painted  in  blue,  with  a  representation  of  the 
ship  inside  the  bowl.  The  following  is  a  copy  of  proposals, 
in  1749,  for  the  purchase  of  the  vessel  in  shares,  and  for 
fitting  her  out  for  the  Greenland  trade,  with  the  names  or 
firms  of  the  merchants  who  subscribed  to  them,  and  em- 
barked in  the  concern,  and  of  the  shares  which  they 
respectively  took  : — 

*In  Picton's  Memorials  of  Liverpool  the  ship  is  incorrectly  called  the  Ann  Galkey. 


THE  SEVEN  YEARS'  WAR.  81 

44  PROPOSALS  from  GOORE  and  BULKELEY  to  all  such 
persons  as  shall  become  Subscribers  hereto,  for  the 
sale  of  the  ship  Golden  Lion,  now  belonging  to  them, 
and  for  fitting  her  out  for  the  GREENLAND  WHALE 
FISHING  TRADE  for  the  next  season. 

"  ist. — That  they,  the  said  Goore  and  Bulkeley,  do  con- 
sent and  agree  to  take  the  sum  of  Two  Thousand  Pounds 
sterling  for  the  Vessel  and  her  Materials  (the  Great  Guns 
with  their  Tackle  and  Firearms  only  excepted),  the  Persons 
subscribing  hereto  do  oblige  themselves  respectively  to  pay 
his  or  their  proportion  according  to  the  amount  of  the  share 
subscribed  for  towards  the  Payment  of  the  said  sum  of  two 
thousand  Pounds  in  two  months  from  the  Date  of  the  Bill 
of  sale. 

44  2nd. — That  the  Joint  Concern  in  the  said  Vessel  shall 
be  divided  into  twenty  or  more  equal  shares,  every  Person 
having  the  liberty  of  Subscribing  one  Share  more  or  less, 
so  that  none  subscribe  for  less  than  half  a^hare. 

44  3rd. — That  twenty  shares  being  subscribed  for,  the 
Bargain  shall  be  valid,  otherwise  void. 

44  4th. — That  the  Subscription  being  completed,  every 
Subscriber  shall  and  is  obliged  to  pay  his  or  their  Proportion 
of  the  Outfit,  Disbursements,  Wages,  or  other  Charges, 
into  the  Hands  of  the  Persons  appointed  Managers,  when 
and  as  often  as  by  them  the  said  Managers  required. 

44  5th. — That  the  Subscribers,  or  a  Majority  of  them,  do 
immediately  after  the  Completion  hereof,  appoint  two  or 
more  of  the  said  Subscribers  to  be  Agents  for  the  directing 
of  the  whole  Proceedings  of  the  Voyage  and  equipping  the 
Vessel. 

"  Lastly,  the  said  Goore  and  Bulkeley  agree  on  their  Part 
to  hold  one  whole  share. — In  witness  whereof,  We  the 
Persons  willing  to  be  concerned  have  Subscribed  our 
Names  and  Shares  this  eighteenth  Day  of  December,  1749." 


82  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

SHARES. 

Thos.  &  John  Backhouse. — half  a  Share 

John  Nicholson  &  Co. — half  a  Share. 

David  Edie. — half  a  Share. 

Joseph  Jackson. — half  a  Share. 

Jo:  Manesty. — half  a  Share. 

Richd.  Nicholas. — half  a  Share. 

Jas.  Gordon. — half  a  Share. 

Thos.  Shaw. — half  a  Share. 

John  Atherton. — half  a  Share. 

Heywood  Benson  &  Co. — half  a  Share. 

John  Parke. — half  a  Share. 

Richd.  Golightly. — half  a  Share. 

Owen  Prichard. — half  a  Share. 

Tho.  Mears  for  Self,  &  John  Okill.— half  a  Share. 

Richard  Savage. — half  a  Share. 

Charles  Goore  for  William  Hurst. —half  a  Share. 

Charles  Goore  for  Nathl.  Bassnett. — One  Share. 

Thomas  Seel. — One  Share. 

Foster  Cunliffe  &  Sons. — One  Share. 

Saml.  Ogden. — One  Share. 

Edwd.  Trafford. — One  Share. 

John  Knight. — One  Share. 

John  Brooks.  —  One  Share. 

John  Hardman. — One  Share. 

Sam.  Shaw. — half  a  Share. 
Jam.  Crosbie. — half  a  Share. 

Chas.  Lowndes. — half  a  Share. 

Edwd.  Cropper.- — half  a  Share. 

John  Tarleton. — half  a  Share. 

Lawce   Spencer. — half  a  Share. 

Edward  Lowndes. — half  a  Share. 

Edward  Parr. — half  a  Share. 

Edwd.  Roughsedge. — half  a  Share. 

Joseph  Bird. — half  a  Share. 

John  Seddon. — half  a  Share. 

James  Pardoe. — half  a  Share. 

John  Entwistle. — half  a  Share.* 

*From  the  original  in  the  possession  of  the  late  Mr.   Samuel  Staniforth,  re- 
printed in  Brooke's  History. 


THE  SEVEN  YEARS'   WAR.  83 

So  catholic  was  the  spirit  of  enterprise  displayed  by  most 
of  these  gentlemen,  that  their  commercial  operations  em- 
braced not  only  whales  but  negroes,  and  for  one  whale's 
blubber  melted  by  their  agency,  they  might  have  counted 
thousands  of  human  hearts  either  stilled  for  ever,  or  crushed 
by  lifelong  slavery.  Messrs.  John  Okill  &  Co.,  were  the 
only  African  Merchants  not  engaged  in  the  slave  trade. 

The  vessel,  after  being  commanded  for  a  long  time  by 
Captain  Metcalf,  was  lost,  whilst  a  full  ship,  as  it  was  termed, 
in  coming  out  of  the  ice  during  one  of  her  voyages.  She 
was  accustomed,  when  in  Liverpool,  to  lie  near  the  south 
west  corner  of  the  Old  Dock;  which,  from  that  circumstance, 
was  called  the  Golden  Lion  berth.  She  ought  not  to  be 
confounded  with  another  well-known  but  more  modern 
vessel,  called  after  the  former,  also,  the  Golden  Lion,  which 
was  commanded  by  Captain  Thompson.  The  latter  was 
employed  in  the  same  trade,  and  belonged  to  Messrs. 
T.  Staniforth  &  Sons.  She  was  afterwards  withdrawn  from 
the  fishery,  let  out  to  the  Government,  and  employed  in 
the  victualling  service,  and  whilst  so  employed,  in  coming 
home  from  the  Mediterranean,  was  captured  by  the  French. 
We  shall  have  occasion  to  notice  her  later  on.  The  first 
ship  built  at  Liverpool,  and  employed  in  the  trade,  was 
launched  in  the  year  1775,  from  Mr.  Sutton's  yard. 

The  Greenland  Fishery  was  then  of  importance  to 
Liverpool,  and  one  of  the  principal  merchants  concerned  in 
it  was  Mr.  Thomas  Staniforth,  father  of  "Sulky  Sam." 
It  fluctuated  very  much,  but  at  one  time  there  were 
twenty-three  ships  from  Liverpool  employed  in  it. 
The  seamen  engaged  in  it  were,  as  an  encouragement 
to  the  Greenland  trade,  protected  by  Parliamentary 
enactments  against  impressment.  "Instances,"  says  Brooke, 
"were  not  unfrequent  during  the  war,  of  a  body  of 
seamen  engaged  in  that  trade,  going  to  the  Liverpool 
Custom-house  armed  with  harpoons  and  whaling  knives  to 


84  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVA  TEERS. 

defend  themselves  against  the  press-gang,  until  they  could 
reach  the  Custom-house,  where  lists  of  their  names  being 
furnished,  on  oath,  by  the  owners,  the  seamen  gave  security 
to  the  satisfaction  of  the  Commissioners  of  Customs,  to 
proceed  in  the  vessels  to  which  they  belonged  to  the 
Greenland  Seas,  or  Davis'  Straits,  in  the  whale  fishery,  in 
the  following  season  ;  and  they  then  received  a  certificate  of 
protection,  under  the  provisions  of  the  Acts  of  Parliament, 
1 3th  George  the  Second,  Chap.  28,  Sec.  5;  nth  George 
the  Third,  Chap.  38,  Sec.  19 ;  26th  George  the  Third, 
Chap.  41,  Sec.  17,  and  3ist  George  the  Third,  Chap.  43, 
Sec.  5  ;  and  they  were  then  privileged  from  impressment 
until  after  the  expiration  of  the  season  of  the  fishery,  and 
until  the  termination  of  the  voyage.  Every  harpooner,  line 
manager,  or  boat-steerer  who  had  given  such  security  as 
above-mentioned,  was  allowed  to  sail  in  the  colliery  or 
coasting  trade,  without  being  liable  to  be  impressed  during 
the  time  of  the  year  that  they  were  not  employed  in  the 
fishery." 

A  building  for  extracting  the  oil  from  the  fat  or  blubber 
of  whales,  and  provided  with  boilers  for  that  purpose,  was 
erected  by  Mr.  Nathan  Kershaw  at  the  south  end  of  the 
Queen's  Dock,  near  the  bottom  of  Greenland  Street ;  and 
since  the  enlargment  of  the  dock,  the  site  of  the  building 
now  forms  a  part  of  it.  Mr.  Kershaw  also  endeavoured  to 
establish  the  manufacture  of  glue  there,  from  the  skin  of 
whales' tails,  but  the  whole  works  wereafailure,  and  the  odour 
from  them  was  anything  but  agreeable  to  the  neighbourhood. 
The  Liverpool  branch  of  the  Greenland  trade  gradually 
declined,  until  it  ceased  to  exist.  One  of  the  last  vessels 
remaining  in  that  trade  was  the  Lton,  Captain  Hawkins, 
belonging  to  Mr.  Staniforth.  He  sold  her  to  Mr.  Hurry, 
and  she  was  afterwards  lost  in  the  ice  in  1817,  but  the  crew 
were  saved. 

When  the  press-gangs  came  on  shore  the  utmost  confusion 


THE  SEVEN  YEARS'   WAR.  85 

and  dismay  took  place  among  the  denizens  of  Bridge  Street, 
Wapping,  Little  Bird  Street,  and  thereabout.  On  the 
3Oth  of  June,  1755,  upon  the  arrival  of  the  ship  Upton  in 
the  river,  from  Maryland,  the  Winchelsea  man-of-war,  then 
lying  at  anchor  off  the  town,  sent  her  barge,  under  the 
command  of  a  lieutenant,  to  board  her.  On  the  Upton's 
men  finding  the  barge's  intention,  they  seized  their 
captain  and  chief  officer  and  fastened  them  in  the  cabin. 
As  the  Winchelsea 's  barge  ran  alongside,  the  Upton's  men 
swore  that  the  man-of-war's  men  should  not  board  them, 
and  if  they  did  they  would  depress  their  guns  and  fire  upon 
them.  At  that  time  every  merchantman  was  more  or  less 
armed,  and  able  to  make  a  stout  resistance  in  case  of 
attack.  Seeing  matters  thus  formidable,  the  Winchelsea's 
barge  sheered  off  to  put  back  for  a  reinforcement.  The 
Upton's  men,  seeing  this,  lowered  their  yawl  and  pulled  to 
shore.  They  were,  however,  followed  by  the  Winchelsed's 
men,  when  a  fierce  encounter  took  place,  shots  being  fired 
on  both  sides,  the  struggle  ending  by  the  yawl  being 
upset.  Two  of  the  crew  swam  ashore,  15  others  were 
captured,  and  two  were  drowned.  The  officer  commanding 
the  barge  was  shot  in  the  cheek,  the  ball  passing  clean 
through  his  mouth.  Several  seamen  on  both  sides  were 
mortally  wounded.* 

In  1750,  six  convicts  who  had  been  transported  for  14 
years  and  shipped  at  Liverpool,  rose  at  sea,  shot  the 
captain,  overcame  and  confined  the  seamen,  and  kept 
possession  of  the  vessel  nineteen  days.  Coming  in  sight  of 
Cape  Hatteras,  they  hoisted  out  the  boat  to  go  on  shore, 
when  a  boy  whom  they  had  not  confined  hailed  a  passing 
vessel  and  attempted  to  make  known  the  position  of  affairs, 
but  was  prevented.  The  wretches  then  drove  a  spike  up 
through  his  under  and  upper  jaws,  and  wound  spun  yarn 

*In  Storehouse's  "  Streets  of  Liverpool,"  the  date  of  this  incident  is  erroneously 
given  as  May  3Oth,  1775. 


86  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVA  TEERS. 

round  the  end  that  came  out  near  his  nose,  to  prevent  his 
getting  it  out.  They  then  cut  away  the  sails  from  the 
yards,  left  the  ship  and  went  on  shore.  "But,"  says  the 
Pennsylvania  Gazette  of  August  1 1,  "a  New  England  sloop 
coming  by  soon  after,  and  seeing  a  ship  driving  in  the  sea 
in  that  manner,  boarded  her,  found  things  as  described, 
and  carried  her  into  North  Carolina,  from  whence  a  hue  and 
cry  went  after  the  villains,  who  had  strolled  along  to 
Virginia.  They  were  taken  at  Norfolk,  and  one  of  them 
confessed  the  fact,  upon  which  they  were  ordered  up  to 
Williamsburg  for  trial  as  pirates." 

In  August,  1753,  fourteen  Danish  ships,  laden  with 
timber,  were  seized  at  Liverpool;  "the  reason  whereof 
was,  "says  the  paper,  "because  it  was  of  the  growth  of 
Livonia,  and  Danish  ships  act  contrary  to  treaty  when  they 
bring  other  wood  into  England  than  that  of  the  product  of 
their  own  country." 

In  May,  1756,  the  peaceful  pursuits  of  commerce  received 
a  rude  shock  in  Liverpool  and  other  parts  of  the  country  by 
the  commencement  of  another  war  with  France.  In  the 
previous  wars  the  trade  of  Liverpool  had  suffered  much  less 
than  that  of  London,  Hull  and  Bristol  from  the  privateers  of 
the  enemy,  but  at  the  outset  of  the  Seven  Years'  War — "  the 
most  glorious  war  in  which  England  had  ever  been 
engaged,"  as  Lord  Macaulay  calls  it, — swift  and  well  armed 
French  privateers  found  their  way  into  the  North  passage 
and  the  Irish  sea,  and  kept  Liverpool  blockaded  for  many 
weeks.  Great  damage  was  inflicted  on  the  commerce  of  the 
port,  and  the  town  itself  was  threatened  with  attack  by  the 
gallant  Thurot.  This  war  continued  during  the  whole  of 
the  remainder  of  the  reign  of  George  the  Second,  and  during 
the  first  and  second  years  of  George  the  Third.  The  early 
part  of  the  contest  was  marked  by  very  humiliating  disasters, 
both  on  sea  and  land,  but  the  latter  part  of  it,  carried  on 
under  the  vigorous  administration  of  the  first  William 


THE  SEVEN  YEARS'   WAR.  87 

Pitt,  was  extremely  successful,  terminating  gloriously  for 
England  at  the  Peace  of  Paris,  in  1763.  Canada  and  all 
the  other  French  possessions  in  North  America  were 
conquered  by  Wolfe  and  Amherst ;  the  rich  province  of 
Bengal  was  captured  by  Clive  ;  and  the  French  fleets,  after 
having  been  victorious  over  the  unfortunate  Byng,  were  in 
their  turn  defeated  by  Hawke  and  Boscawen. 

The  spirited  manner  in  which  the  French  commenced 
the  war,  and  the  superiority  and  activity  of  their  privateers, 
caused  an  immediate  and  enormous  increase  in  the 
premium  for  insurance  against  sea  risks.  The  rates  on 
vessels  from  Liverpool  to  Jamaica  rose  to  twelve  guineas 
per  cent.;  to  North  America  to  ten  guineas  ;  from  Carolina 
to  Cowes  and  a  market  to  twenty  guineas  ;  from  North 
America  to  Jamaica  to  twelve  guineas  ;  from  Liverpool  to 
Gibraltar  to  twenty  guineas  ;  and  from  Newfoundland  to 
the  Mediterranean  twenty-five  guineas ;  rates  almost 
sufficient  to  put  an  end  to  commercial  enterprise. 

As  trade  no  longer  "  flourished  and  spread  her  golden 
wings  so  extensively,"  but  had  come  almost  to  a  standstill, 
the  Liverpool  merchants  took  a  leaf  out  of  the  enemy's 
book,  and  forthwith  began  to  fit  out  their  ships  as  privateers 
and,  in  some  cases,  to  build  new  vessels  for  the  specific 
purpose  of  cruising  against  the  enemies  of  Great  Britain. 
The  Revenge,  Mandrin,  and  Anson  privateers  sailed  from 
the  port  on  the  first  of  July,  1756,  and  the  Brave  Blakeney 
followed  in  August.  These  vessels  were  very  successful  on 
their  first  cruise,  particularly  the  Anson,  which  returned  in  a 
few  weeks  with  a  French  West  Indiaman  worth  ,£20,000  ; 
and  the  Brave  Blakeney,  which  brought  in  two  other  prizes 
of  great  value,  named  La  Gloire  and  Le  Juste.  Then  the 
whole  community  became  mad  after  privateering,  and 
shares  in  these  ventures  were  eagerly  taken  up.*  Other 

*  Soon  after  war  had  been  declared,  Messrs.  Edmund  Rigby  and  Sons,  iron- 
mongers, advertised  that  they  had  contracted  with  the  proprietors  of  Birsham 
Foundry  for  the  delivery  of  a  large  quantity  of  good  swivel  and  carriage  guns. 


88      .  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

privateers  were  fitted  out  and  sailed  in  the  following  order : 
The  Mercury,  on  November  2oth  ;  the  Isaac,  on  the  2gth  ; 
the  new  Anson,  on  December  3rd  ;  and  the  Grand  Buck, 
on  the  8th.  In  the  following  year  two  other  privateers 
sailed,  the  King  of  Prussia  on  January  2Qth,  and  the  Liverpool 
on  June  loth,  1757.  In  1758,  the  Resolution  and  the  Spy 
were  sent  out  to  prey  on  the  enemy's  commerce.  The 
French,  however,  played  at  the  same  game,  with  equal,  if 
not  greater  vigour.  It  was  calculated  that  at  the  beginning 
of  March,  1757,  the  French  had  at  sea  no  less  than  200 
privateers,  while  many  more  were  being  built. 

On  the  ist  of  July,  1756,  the  Anson  privateer,  Captain 
Edward  Fryer,  a  brigantine  of  150  tons  burthen,  16  carriage 
guns  (four,  six,  and  nine-pounders),  24  swivels,  and  100  men, 
belonging  to  Mr.  George  Campbell,  a  member  of  the 
Common  Council,  sailed  on  a  cruise.  A  captain  who  spoke 
her  off  the  Tuskar,  reported  that  she  sailed  very  fast,  and 
that  "the  men  were  in  great  spirits,  giving  him  three 
cheers,  with  their  cutlasses  brandished  over  their  heads,"  in 
a  very  suggestive  manner.  Before  the  igth  of  July,  the 
Anson  had  taken  four  prizes,  one  being  a  storeship,  bound 
to  Canada  with  a  number  of  French  officers,  300  cannon, 
and  other  warlike  material,  as  well  as  important  despatches 
on  board.  In  the  Bay  of  Biscay,  the  Anson  encountered 
La  Juno,  a  Bayonne  privateer  of  12  guns  and  108  men, 
which  she  captured  and  carried  into  Kinsale,  after  an 

They  also  sold  iron  balls,  cast  in  moulds,  and  "much  preferable  to  those  cast  in 
sand."  The  guns  had  been  proved  by  the  Woolwich  proof,  but  purchasers 
were  at  liberty  to  prove  them  again.  Would  Messrs.  Armstrong  or  Herr  Krupp 
have  shown  more  enterprise,  had  they  lived  in  1756  ?  Gunpowder  was  then 
manufactured  by  Messrs.  Cunliffe,  Stanton  and  Craven,  at  their  mills  at  Thelwall, 
the  powder  being  stored  at  the  Black  Rock  Magazine,  in  Cheshire.  Messrs. 
Cunliffe  &  Co.,  advertised  "damaged  gunpowder  wrought  over  again  fit  for  service, 
at  2os.  per  barrel."  Prior  to  this  date  there  was  a  powder-house  on  Brownlow-Hill, 
opposite  the  spot  which  is  now  the  north  end  of  Clarence  Street.  The  building 
was  used  for  the  confinement  of  prisoners  of  war,  during  the  American  Revolu- 
tionary struggle.  The  records  of  the  mock  Corporation  of  Sephton  mention  Mr. 
John  Stanton  as  holding  the  office  of  "contractor  for  gunpowder,"  while  a  Mr. 
Matthews  was  "hooper,  cooper,  and  powder-keg  maker"  to  the  same  convivial, 
but  really  influential  body. 


THE  SEVEN  YEARS'   WAR,  89 

engagement  of  four  hours  and  a  half,  in  which  the  French 
had  four  men  killed  and  several  wounded.  The  August 
number  of  the  u  Gentleman's  Magazine"  stated  that  the 
Anson  had  already  made  "above  5,000  per  cent,  of  what 
was  expended  in  fitting  her  out." 

On  the  2oth  of  September,  the  Anson  fell  in  with  the  frigate 
Artabonetta,  320  tons  burthen,  14  guns,  from  St.  Domingo 
for  Nantz,  and  took  her  after  an  engagement  of  two  hours, 
in  which  the  prize  had  three  men  killed  and  two  wounded, 
her  rigging  maltreated,  and  her  sails  shot  to  rags.  "  The 
Anson 's  people,"  piously  observes  the  editor  of  Williamson 's 
Advertiser,  "  have  had  particular  marks  of  Providence 
conferred  on  them  this  cruise  ;  for  though  they  have  taken 
the  Alexander,  a  prize  of  upwards  of  400  tons,  outward 
bound,  worth  ^"5,000,  and  the  Juno,  a  privateer  of  equal 
force  with  themselves  (besides  the  forementioned  prize),  yet 
not  one  of  their  hands  has  received  the  least  damage."  The 
cargo  of  the  Artabonetta,  consisting  of  sugar,  coffee,  indigo, 
and  "superfine  St.  Domingo  cotton,"  was  valued  at 
,£20,000.  Both  the  Artabonetta  and  the  Young  Alexander 
were  sold  by  the  candle  at  R.  Williamson's  shop,  near  the 
Exchange.  Captain  Fryer  did  not  sail  again  in  the  Anson, 
but  took  command  of  the  Hope  (Letter  of  Marque),  300  tons 
and  1 8  guns,  besides  swivels,  which  was  advertised  to  sail 
for  Barbadoes,  touching  at  the  Cape  de  Verd  Islands,  and 
which  offered  "good  encouragement  for  seamen  and  able- 
bodied  landmen  wishing  to  try  their  fortunes." 

The  new  commander  of  the  Anson  was  Captain  Gersham 
Speers,  and  on  the  28th  of  January,  1757,  she  sailed  on 
another  cruise,  in  consort  with  the  Blakeney,  Captain 
George  Fowler.  On  March  nth,  they  passed  through  the 
Straits  of  Gibraltar,  and  on  May  28th  boarded  a  French 
polacca,  freighted  with  Turks  and  their  effects,  from 
Alexandria  for  Tripoli,  whom  they  ransomed  for  1,000 
Barbary  dollars.  On  June  3rd,  they  fell  in  with  another 


90  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

French  polacca,  which  they  ransomed  for  600  Barbary 
zequins.  A  few  days  later  they  saw  four  sail,  and  gave 
chase  to  a  snow,  which  hoisted  Turkish  colours  and  ran  on 
shore  on  the  Barbary  coast.  The  privateers  then  stood  off 
and  gave  chase  to  a  large  ship  in  the  offing,  which  gave 
them  the  slip.  They  pursued  two  sail  to  leeward,  and 
captured  a  French  brig  from  Smyrna  for  Marseilles. 
The  French  captain  informed  them  that  the  large  ship  was 
one  of  the  convoy,  and  that  the  snow  was  his  consort.  They 
then  stood  in  shore,  sent  their  boats  on  board  her,  soon 
after  got  her  afloat,  and  made  sail  with  their  two  prizes  for 
Cagliari.  They  appear  to  have  made  three  other  captures 
on  the  way  to  that  port,  one  of  which  was  re-taken  by  a 
Maltese  man-of-war.  From  Cagliari,  they  sailed  for 
Gibraltar,  where  they  arrived  safe,  after  beating  off  a  stout 
French  privateer.  Having  got  two  of  their  prizes  con- 
demned there,  they  convoyed  them  to  Liverpool,  but  were 
parted  from  them  in  a  gale  of  wind,  one  of  the  prizes,  the 
brig  Union )  going  on  shore  on  the  coast  of  Ireland.  Some 
of  the  cargo  was  saved  and  sold  by  auction  in  Liverpool,  as 
also  was  the  other  prize,  the  "good  snow  St.  Nicholas" 
and  in  March,  1758,  the  two  fortunate  privateers  were  also 
brought  under  the  hammer. 

The  Brave  Blakeney  privateer,  Captain  William  Day,  a 
brigantine  of  14  carriage-guns  and  20  swivels,  also  belong- 
ing to  Mr.  George  Campbell,  sailed  from  the  Mersey  in 
August,  1756,  and  falling  in  with  the  Hawke  privateer,  of 
Exeter,  agreed  to  cruise  in  company.  On  the  6th  of 
October,  Cape  Finisterre  bearing  W.S.W.  about  25 
leagues,  they  chased  and  came  up  with  two  ships  and  two 
snows  from  St.  Domingo,  which  drew  up  in  a  line  to 
engage  the  privateers.  The  two  ships  were  the  Robuste,  a 
French  Guineaman  of  14  guns  and  about  40  men,  and  the 
Le  Juste,  450  tons,  22  guns  (10  of  which  proved  to  be  wooden 
ones),  4  swivels  and  27  men.  The  Blakeney  being  the  fore- 


THE  SEVEN  YEARS'   WAR.  91 

most  of  the  two  privateers,  shot  ahead  of  the  Robuste,  and 
attacked  the  Le  Juste,  who  returned  his  fire  very  briskly, 
aided  by  one  of  the  snows  that  lay  ahead  of  the  privateer,  and 
the  other  upon  his  weather  quarter.  They  all  fought  the 
Blakeney  two  hours,  the  Hawke's  metal  not  being  heavy 
enough  to  enable  her  to  assist  her  consort,  and  then  the  Le 
Juste  struck.  In  the  meantime  the  Hawke  came  up  and 
bravely  boarded  the  Robuste,  which  was  astern,  the  French- 
men running  from  their  quarters  immediately  on  the 
appearance  of  the  boarders.  Their  captain  was  shot  in  his 
thigh.  When  Captain  Day  had  secured  the  Le  Juste,  he  gave 
chase  to  the  snow,  La  Gloire,  which  had  crowded  away 
while  he  lay  by  fishing  his  wounded  masts,  which  caused 
a  delay  of  nearly  an  hour.  In  endeavouring  to  escape,  the 
snow  threw  overboard  four  guns,  a  sheet  anchor  and  best 
bower  cable  ;  but  the  Blakeney  got  alongside  of  her,  fought 
her,  and  took  her.  In  the  engagement,  a  crossbar  shot 
broke  the  shank  of  one  of  the  Blakeney's  anchors,  and  a 
piece  of  the  bar  passing  between  the  thighs  of  one  poor 
fellow,  took  most  part  of  the  flesh  away  on  each  side.  Two 
other  men  were  also  wounded.  The  Hawke  received  con- 
siderable damage,  and  had  one  man  killed,  while  another 
man  had  his  arm  shot  off,  and  another  a  leg  broken.  As 
soon  as  Captain  Hewston,  of  the  Hawke,  had  secured  his 
prize,  he  gave  chase  to  the  second  snow,  the  Victoire,  of  10 
guns,  which  escaped  under  cover  of  night.  When  the 
Blakeney  engaged  the  four  vessels,  she  had  only  13  guns 
(viz.,  2  nine-pounders,  i  six-pounder,  2  four-pounders,  8 
three-pounders),  20  swivels  and  67  men  and  boys  on  board. 
All  the  ships  were  much  damaged  in  the  action,  and  lay 
some  time  to  refit.  After  manning  both  his  prizes,  Captain 
Day  had  only  45  men  left  on  board  his  own  ship,  besides 
Frenchmen,  who  were  superior  in  number.  The  united 
cargoes  of  the  two  prizes,  which  arrived  safe  in  Liverpool, 
consisted  of  the  following  : — 


92  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVA  TEERS. 

232  hogsheads  3  tierces    195  barrels  White  Sugar. 

547         do.        28      do.          27       do.  Muscovada  Sugar. 

288         do.        —      do.       218       do.  Coffee. 

15          do.  do.  4       do.  Indigo. 

And  some  hundreds  of  hides. 

In  August,  1757,  we  find  Captain  Day  in  command  of 
the  Prussian  Hero  (Letter  of  Marque),  400  tons  burthen,  20 
guns  (six  and  nine-pounders)  and  80  men,  belonging  to  Mr. 
Richard  Savage,  and  engaged  in  the  American  and  West 
India  trade.  In  March,  1758,  on  his  outward  voyage,  he 
fell  in  with  five  French  privateers  off  Martinico,  three  of 
whom  engaged  him  at  once,  but  after  a  smart  fire  he  got 
clear  of  them.  Off  the  east  end  of  Jamaica,  he  was  attacked 
by  a  privateer  of  16  guns,  full  of  men,  who  ran  his  jib- 
boom  into  Captain  Day's  mizen  shrouds,  where  it  was 
immediately  lashed,  and  as  fast  as  the  Frenchmen  boarded 
the  ship,  they  were  as  vigorously  repulsed,  the  Captain 
animating  his  men  in  a  surprising  manner,  and  killing  ten 
of  the  enemy  with  his  own  hand.  The  slaughter  was  so 
great  that  the  deck  ran  with  blood.  However,  Captain 
Day,  finding  there  was  no  likelihood  of  overpowering  them, 
on  account  of  the  superiority  of  their  number,  cut  the  lash- 
ings, and  his  mainsail  filling,  he  soon  left  them.  The 
engagement  lasted  about  two  hours,  and  Captain  Day  had 
only  one  man  killed. 

The  names  of  two  or  three  Liverpool  estates  are  derived 
from  valuable  prizes  made  by  privateers  belonging  to  the 
port.  The  St.  Domingo  estate,  in  Everton,  was  so  called 
by  Mr.  George  Campbell,  who,  in  1755,  purchased  the  first 
lot  of  land  thereabouts  from  the  Halsall  family.  In  1758, 
he  frequently  added  to  it,  and  gave  it  the  name  it  bears  to 
commemorate  the  capture  of  the  rich  St.  Domingo  ships 
by  his  privateers.  The  mansion,  erected  by  Mr.  Campbell, 
was  a  rather  eccentric  sort  of  place,  resembling  an  ecclesi- 
astical edifice.  The  history  of  this  house  is  rather  curious. 


THE  SEVEN  YEARS'   WAR.  93 

After  Mr.  Campbell's  death,  the  property  was  purchased  from 
his  executors    by   Mr.   Crosbie  for  ,£3,800.      Mr.    Crosbie 
having  paid  down  ,£680  deposit,  was  unable  to  complete 
his  bargain,  and  became  bankrupt.     The  estate  was  then 
put  up  for  sale  at  the  Pontack,  in  Water  Street,  but  no  sale 
was   effected.      Eventually  Messrs.    Gregson,    Bridge    and 
Parke  became  the  purchasers  at  the  price  Mr.  Crosbie  had 
agreed  to  pay  for  it,  in  addition  to  his  forfeit  money.    These 
gentlemen,  in  1773,  resold  the  estate  to  Mr.  John  Sparling, 
merchant,  who  was  High  Sheriff  of  Lancashire    in    1785, 
and  Mayor  of  Liverpool  in  1790,  for  ,£3,470,  thus  entailing 
on  the  three  speculators  a  loss.     Mr.  Sparling  took  down  the 
old  house  and  erected  a  handsome  mansion,  into  which  he 
removed  from  a  large  house  in  Duke  Street,  the  second 
below  York  Street  on  the  south  side.     Mr.   Sparling  was 
one    of    the   old    school,    appearing    on    'Change   in    knee 
breeches,   broad-flapped  coat,    gold  laced  waistcoat,   broad 
shoes  with  gold  buckles,  and  wearing  a  three-cornered  hat. 
He  left  a  proviso  in  his  will  that  the  St.  Domingo  estate 
should   be   occupied    by  no  other  than   a   "  Sparling"  by 
name.     Finding  it  impossible  to   get  a  tenant  under  this 
condition,    the  will    was  set  aside,    in    1810,  by  an  Act  of 
Parliament  to  nullify  the  clause  and  enable  the  executors  to 
sell  the  property.     Mr.   Sparling  was  interred  in  Walton 
Churchyard,  where  he  erected,  in  his  lifetime,  a  handsome 
tomb,  which  he  could  see  from  the  windows  of  his  mansion. 
He  was  the  projector  of  the  Queen's  Dock,  which  he  dis- 
posed   of   to   the    Dock   Trustees    in    1783.      In    1811,    his 
executors   sold    the   St.    Domingo    estate   for   £20,295    to 
Messrs.   Ewart  and  Litt.     Mr.   Ewart  next  purchased  Mr. 
Litt's  interest,  and  on  the  I3th  September,  1812,  re-sold  the 
estate  to  the  Government,   to  be  converted  into  barracks. 
The    price  was   £"26,383,    subject   to    195.    3d.   lord's  rent. 
Prince    William    of   Gloucester,    resided   at   St.    Domingo 
House,  when    Commandant  of  the  district,  in  1803.     The 


94  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVA  TEERS. 

Prince  was  very  affable,  and  made  himself  exceedingly 
popular  in  the  neighbourhood.  Scandal  said  that  he  was 
often  to  be  seen  turning  down  Gloucester  Place  of  an 
evening,  to  visit  a  fair  lady  who  dwelt  therein.  St. 
Domingo  estate  was  next  sold  in  two  lots,  one  lot,  the 
land,  being  bought  by  Mr.  Atherton,  and  the  other,  the 
mansion,  by  Mr.  Macgregor.  Soon  after  the  purchase 
had  been  completed,  Mr.  Atherton  inquired  of  Mr.  Mac- 
gregor when  he  was  going  to  take  away  his  house.  Mr. 
Macgregor  said  he  did  not  intend  to  do  so.  "  What  do  you 
mean  to  do  with  it?"  "Why,  I  think  I  shall  let  it,  or 
perhaps  live  in  it  myself."  "Well,  but  how  will  you  get 
to  it,  because  I  have  bought  all  the  land  around  it,  and  you 
have  no  right  of  way?"  Mr.  Macgregor  found  that  he 
was  at  Mr.  Atherton's  mercy,  and,  it  was  said,  sold  him 
the  mansion  at  a  great  loss.  After  other  mutations,  St. 
Domingo  House  became,  as  at  present,  St.  Edward's 
College. 

But  to  return  to  Mr.  Campbell.  In  1745,  he  commanded 
the  "  Liverpool  Blues,"  about  which  a  good  story  is  told 
by  Stonehouse.  The  regiment  started  one  November 
morning,  about  three  o'clock,  to  march  to  Warrington  to 
guard  the  bridge,  and,  if  need  be,  destroy  it,  as  the  Earl 
of  Cholmondely,  the  commandant  of  the  district,  either 
from  scarcity  of  workmen  or  distrust  of  the  many  Jacobites 
in  the  neighbourhood,  felt  himself  in  a  position  of  difficulty. 
On  arriving  near  Penketh  Common,  the  vanguard  of  the 
"  Blues"  was  seen  hastily  retreating,  when  the  main  body 
came  to  a  halt.  The  valorous  vanguard  reported  that  there 
was  a  large  body  of  the  enemy  ahead,  occupying  the  road 
and  part  of  the  common.  A  party  of  skirmishers  was  then 
sent  forward,  when  terrific  screams  and  shouts  were  heard 
through  the  darkness  of  the  night.  It  was  then  proposed 
at  a  council  of  war,  called  on  the  emergency,  that  the  main 
body  should  deploy  into  the  fields,  and  endeavour  to  take 


THE  SEVEN  YEARS'   WAR.  95 

the  enemy  in  flank  ;  however,  before  the  movement  could 
be  effected,  the  skirmishers  had  come  in  with  each  a 
prisoner  in  the  shape  of  a  goose,  whereupon  the  main  body 
of  the  gallant  "Blues"  charged  en  masse  and  completed 
the  victory  their  advance  guard  had  commenced  ;  and  it 
was  said  in  Warrington  that  so  many  geese  were  never 
cooked  in  one  night  as  there  were  on  the  occasion  of  the 
arrival  of  the  "  Liverpool  Blues"  in  the  town.* 

Messrs.  Henry  Hardwar  &  Co.,  merchants,  fitted  out  a 
privateer  known  as  the  new  Anson,  a  ship  of  about  200  tons 
burthen,  12  carriage  guns  (nine-pounders),  24  swivels,  and 
130  men.  She  was  commanded  by  Captain  Wm.  Cuthbert, 
who  had  been  first  lieutenant  of  the  brig  Anson,  and  all  the 
officers  and  most  of  the  brig's  crew  sailed  with  him  from  the 
Mersey,  on  December  3rd,  1756.  Four  days  later  they 
recaptured  the  Rebecca,  of  Hull,  which  arrived  safe  in 
Liverpool,  but  was  again  taken  on  her  passage  from 
Liverpool  to  Hull,  and  carried  into  Boulogne.  Mr.  Robert 
Williamson  advertised  that  he  had  a  letter  in  his  hands  from 
part  of  the  crew,  then  in  a  French  gaol,  containing  informa- 
tion advantageous  to  the  insurers,  but  he  adds — "  no  letters 
answered  unless  post  paid."  In  June,  1757,  the  new  Anson 
was  taken  by  the  French,  and  the  affair  is  thus  described  by 
Capt.  Cuthbert  in  a  letter  to  his  owners,  written  from  "St. 
John  the  Angelick,  40  miles  from  Rochelle  "  :— 

"  On  the  1 2th  inst.,  I  fell  in  with  a  large  fleet,  to  which  I 
gave  chase  ;  fell  in  about  the  middle  of  them,  and  as  there 
were  three  large  ships  to  windward,  which  I  took  to  be  the 
convoy,  edged  to  leeward,  attempting  to  cut  some  of  them 
out ;  but  there  found  the  Amitie  frigate,  of  24  guns  and  250 
men,  which  we  engaged  from  half-an-hour  past  four  to  three- 
quarters  past  seven  o'clock,  and  as  my  brave  lads  behaved  like 
Englishmen,  I  believe  we  should  have  carried  her,  had  not  the 
War-wick  of  60  guns,  and  two  more  frigates,  bore  down  upon 

*  "The  Streets  of  Liverpool,"  by  James  Storehouse,  p.  211. 


96  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

us.     As  soon  as  they  steered  alongside,  they  gave  me  their 
broadsides  both  from  their  lower  and  upper  decks.      I  gave 
them    one   in  return,   and   struck,    after    receiving  three   shot 
between  wind  and  water,  and  most  of  my  rigging  cut  to  pieces. 
They  have  stripped  all  my  people,  and  only  left  me  two  shirts 
and  two  pair  of  stockings.     I  have  at  last  prevailed  on  them 
to  permit  Mr.  Robinson  (the  first  lieutenant)  to  come  out  of  the 
common  jail  in  Rochelle,  where  all  the  rest  of  my  brave  boys 
are  confined,  a  French  merchant  having  become  surety  for  us  ; 
and  I  hear  they  are  to  be  marched  backwards  into  the  country 
100  miles,  till  a  general  cartel  is  settled.      I  am  not  permitted 
to  say  more."     The  Captain  died  soon  after. 
The  Revenge   privateer,    Captain   John    Gyles,    and    the 
Mandrin,     Commodore     Mackaffee,     two      schooners     or 
wherries,  about  35  tons  burthen,  prime  sailers,   mounting 
2  two-pounders  and    20    swivels,    sailed    on    a    cruise,   in 
company,   on  July   ist,    1756.     Though  small  of  size  and 
armament,  they  were  great  in  daring,  and  soon  met  with 
success.     In  August,  the  Mandrin  sent  into  Crookhaven  a 
brigantine  laden  with  iron  and  cheese  for  Brest,  and  about 
the  same  time  the  two  privateers  took  two  Dutch  ships  out 
of  the  river  at  Bordeaux.     On  September  ist,  the  Revenge 
captured  the  dogger  Maria  Esther,  from  Rochelle  for  the 
Mississippi,  with  flour,   pork,  lead  shot,  Spanish  bar  iron, 
cotton,  flannel,  knives,  velvet,  linen,   "  Ozenbriggs,"  wine, 
brandy,    medicines,   beaver  hats,    silk   stockings,    candles, 
linen  handkerchiefs,  ruffled  shirts,  shifts,  black  pepper,  and 
other  merchandise,  which,   together  with  the  vessel,   were 
sold  by  auction  at  the  Pontacks'  and  Merchants'  Coffee- 
houses.    The  Revenge  returned  from  her  cruise  in  October, 
and  the  privateersmen,  when  they  came  on  shore,  "  made 
a  handsome  appearance,  each  man  having  a  clean  French 
ruffled   shirt  on,   which   they  had    taken  overboad  a  bark 
bound    to    Bayonne.     When    the    privateers   boarded    her 
they  found  twenty-four  Frenchmen   hid   below,   and   none 
but  Spaniards  upon  deck;  however,  they  took  care,"  says 


THE  SEVEN    YEARS'   WAR.  97 

the  paper,  "to  ease  them  of  their  dollars,  silver  buckles, 
private  adventures,  &c.,  and  have  brought  in  732  ounces 
of  silver,  13  ounces  of  gold,  five  chests  of  India  goods,  two 
tons  of  coffee,  &c."  The  Mandrin  having  been  blown  on 
shore  in  Bootle  Bay,  was  sold  by  the  candle  at  the  shop 
of  the  versatile  Williamson. 

In  an  age  when  charges  of  cowardice  in  face  of  the 
enemy  were  freely  made  against  admirals  and  commanders 
in  the  Royal  Navy,  and  courts  martial  were  as  common  as 
blackberries,  it  was  not  strange  that  a  privateer  captain 
should  fall  under  suspicion.  The  Advertiser  of  Nov.  5, 
1756,  contains  "a  vindication  of  Captain  John  Gyles' 
character."  The  owners  of  the  Mandrin  and  Revenge 
privateers  having  appointed  a  meeting  between  Captain 
Mackaffee  and  Captain  Gyles,  to  hear  a  true  statement  of 
the  quarrel  between  the  said  captains,  and  to  examine  into 
the  cause  of  the  report  spread  in  the  town,  which  had 
defamed  Captain  Gyles  by  branding  him  with  cowardice, 
the  parties  met  at  Pontack's  Coffee-house,  when  Captain 
Mackaffee  voluntarily  signed  a  declaration  completely 
exonerating  Captain  Gyles,  who,  far  from  showing  the 
white  feather,  had  single-handed  attacked  a  French  ship 
before  the  Mandrin  could  come  up. 

The  method  of  financing  the  brave  but  improvident 
crews  of  the  privateers  was  a  curious  one.  In  the  paper 
of  Nov.  1 2th,  a  victualler  named  Edward  Walker  gives 
notice  that,  having  been  appointed  agent  to  the  majority  of 
the  companies  of  the  Revenge  and  Mandrin  privateers,  lately 
arrived  from  a  cruise  against  the  French,  in  which  cruise 
they  took  "  several  valuable  prizes  and  private  plunders  from 
the  enemy,"  and  having  not  only  furnished  many  of  the  said 
companies  with  meat,  drink  and  lodging,  but  likewise  upon 
proper  assignments  procured  Savil  Wilson,  merchant,  of 
Liverpool,  to  furnish  them  with  money  and  apparel,  which 
they  were  in  great  need  of,  therefore  he  naturally  desired 


98  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

all  payments  and  settlements  of  the  said  prizes  and  private 
plunders,  which  concerned  his  clients,  to  be  made  to  him  ; 
and  no  doubt  Messrs.  Savil  Wilson  and  Edward  Walker 
made  their  own  little  private  plunder  out  of  the  necessities 
and  recklessness  of  "  poor  Jack." 

Prior  to  the  publication  of  the  "vindication"  of  his 
character,  Captain  Gyles  had  been  appointed  commander  of 
the  Mercury  privateer,  of  16  guns  (six  and  nine-pounders), 
24  swivels,  and  130  men,  belonging  to  Messrs.  John 
Hulton  and  Co.,  which  sailed  on  a  cruise  the  end  of 
November.  On  December  2ist,  Captain  Gyles  wrote  to  his 
owners,  from  Castlehaven,  as  follows  : — 

"On  the  1 6th  of  December,  we  gave  chase  to  a  French 
ship  of  22  guns,  in  latitude  43°  40',  longitude  n°  10',  which 
we  came  up  with  about  12  o'clock  at  noon  (after  having  fired 
10  rounds  of  our  bow-chase  guns,  nine-pounders,  which  they 
answered  with  their  stern-chase),  and  engaged  broadside  and 
broadside  for  five  glasses.*  They  shot  away  all  our  standing 
rigging,  wounded  both  our  lower  masts,  and  carried  away  our 
Troysail  mast ;  hulled  us  in  several  places  between  wind  and 
water,  and  an  unlucky  shot  struck  us  four  feet  under  water. 
We  very  soon  had  seven  feet  water  in  the  hold,  and  expected 
to  sink  every  minute,  the  water  being  level  with  our  platform, 
and  all  our  water  casks  afloat  in  the  hold,  which  hindered  us 
from  plugging  the  hole  in  the  inside  ;  upon  which  we  struck, 
and  called  out  for  quarter,  but  the  enemy  kept  a  continued 
fire  into  us,  which  determined  us  to  throw  all  our  guns  over- 
board, whilst  part  of  our  people  were  baling  the  water  out  of 
the  hatchway.  Soon  after  the  Frenchmen  hove  out  a  signal  of 
distress,  but  we  could  not  assist  one  another,  and  I  believe 
never  two  ships  were  in  a  more  shattered  condition,  for  they 
appeared  to  be  as  much  disabled  as  ourselves.  If  it  had  not 
been  for  that  unfortunate  shot,  I  believe  we  should  have  taken 
her.  Four  of  my  men  are  killed  and  thirteen  wounded.  I 
have  received  a  shot  in  both  legs,  and  have  not  been  able  to  turn 

*  Two  hours  and  a-half. 


THE  SEVEN  YEARS'   WAR.  99 

myself  in  my  hammock  since.  I  am  more  concerned  for  the 
loss  of  my  cruise  than  my  own  wounds  ;  and  if  it  please  God 
to  spare  my  life,  and  one  leg-,  I  will  have  the  other  knock  at 
the  French.  As  soon  as  the  ship  is  in  condition  I  shall  return 
to  Liverpool." 

A  merchant  at  Kinsale,  writing  five  days  later,  informs 
the  owners  that  the  Mercury  was  in  a  very  shattered  con- 
dition. The  crew,  in  their  distress,  had  thrown  overboard 
12  carriage  guns  and  most  of  the  swivels,  two  anchors  and 
cables,  and  other  articles.  Their  powder,  bread,  and  most 
of  their  stores  were  "ill  damaged,"  three  more  of  the 
wounded  men  were  dead,  and  two,  besides  the  captain, 
were  dangerously  ill  on  shore.  Captain  Gyles  had  been 
wounded  in  both  legs,  two  of  the  four  wounds  he  received 
in  his  left  leg  being  very  dangerous.  The  gallant 
behaviour  of  Captain  Gyles  and  his  ship's  company  had 
recommended  them  to  Colonel  Townshend  and  the  gentry 
of  the  neighbourhood,  who  were  extremely  kind  to  them. 
It  was  supposed  that  the  ship  which  engaged  the  Mercury* 
was  the  Bristol,  of  Bordeaux,  22  guns,  which  on  her  arrival 
at  Rochelle,  reported  having  fought  an  English  privateer 
of  16  guns,  and  left  her  sinking. 

Captain    Gyles   arrived  in    Liverpool    on   January  2Oth, 
1757,  and  in  February  a  notice  was  inserted  in  the  papers 


*Some  question  of  marine  insurance  appears  to  have  arisen  in  connection  with 
this  privateer,  as  the  following  letter  on  the  subject  was  addressed  to  the  publisher 
of  the  Advertiser: — "Some  disputes  that  have  lately  happened  between  the  owners 
and  insurers  of  the  Mercury  privateer,  if  they  have  no  other  good  effect,  are  at  least 
sufficient  to  show  us  that  our  present  method  of  insurance  upon  privateers  is 
greatly  defective  ;  and  that  though  the  insurers  have,  upon  account  of  certain 
exceptions,  been  induced  to  run  the  risk  of  the  whole  for  a  very  small  premium, 
yet  the  property  of  the  adventurers  has  not  there! >y  been  truly  secured.  It  is 
therefore  submitted  to  the  consideration  both  of  the  adventurers  and  insurers, 
whether  it  would  not  be  more  eligible  to  fix  some  premium,  which  should  be 
sufficient  to  pay  all  averages  and  losses  whatsoever,  except  powder  and  shot  ex- 
pended in  attacking  or  defending ;  and  also  to  insure  for  the  whole  cruise,  for  such 
time  as  the  crew  are  engaged,  without  any  exception  as  to  their  coming  into  or 
going  out  of  port  during  such  time  ;  and  also  to  make  a  clause  in  the  policy,  that 
in  case  the  ship  shall  not  he  certainly  seen  in  safety  after  the  expiration  of  the 
limited  time,  she  shall  after  the  expiration  of  months,  be  esteemed  a  lost 

ship  within  the  limits  of  the  insurance  and  paid  for  accordingly." 


100  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

calling  upon  the  crew  of  the  Mercury  to  repair  on  board  to 
finish  her  six  months'  cruise,  on  pain  of  forfeiting  their 
share  of  prizes,  and  of  being  prosecuted  for  the  advance 
money  by  them  received.  She  sailed  from  the  Mersey  on 
the  nth  of  March,  and  on  the  25th  recaptured,  off  Cape 
Penas,  the  ship  Liverpool,  from  Jamaica  for  London,  laden 
with  247  hogsheads  of  sugar,  26  puncheons  of  rum,  8 
hogsheads  of  ginger,  18  casks  and  32  bags  of  pimento,  i 
bag  of  cotton,  and  38  logs  of  mahogany,  all  of  which  were 
duly  sold  by  auction  at  the  famous  Merchants'  Coffee-house. 
On  May  i2th,  they  took  possession  of  the  brigantine  Johny 
of  Greenock,  laden  with  pickled  salmon  and  iron  hoops, 
which  was  lying  troy  in  the  sea,  without  a  soul  on  board, 
and  which  they  sent  to  Liverpool. 

Little  occurred  to  the  Mercury,  except  daily  speaking 
neutral  bottoms,  and  now  and  then  an  English  privateer, 
until  May  25th,  when  they  gave  chase  to  a  sail,  which,  as 
soon  as  they  came  up  with  him,  saluted  them  with  a  broad- 
side, which  they  "  returned  freely."  During  the  skirmish 
he  carried  away  the  Mercury^s  main  top-sail  yard,  and 
damaged  her  rigging.  Night  coming  on,  they  parted,  but 
fell  to  it  again  at  three  in  the  morning.  At  five,  Captain 
Gyles  determined  to  board,  steered  alongside,  and  received 
the  enemy's  whole  fire.  The  Mercury's  top-men  called  out 
that  he  was  well  provided  with  close  quarters,  and  had 
double  their  number  at  small  arms,  whereupon  the  experi- 
ment of  boarding  was  abandoned  as  too  dangerous.  "  We 
engaged  him  an  hour-and-a-half  close  alongside,"  says 
Captain  Gyles,  in  his  journal,  "and  they  answered  our  fire 
briskly,  carrying  away  our  stays,  braces,  topmast  and 
futlock  shrouds,  great  part  of  our  rigging,  and  riddled  our 
sails.  At  eight,  set  the  men  to  work,  to  splice  and  knot  our 
rigging,  etc.  Finding  them  so  well  provided,  and  double 
the  number  of  our  people  on  board,  we  agreed  to  leave  him, 
and  I  apprehend  he  is  an  outward  bound  Angolaman.  None 


THE  SEVEN  YEARS'   WAR.  101 

of  my  people  were  hurt,  except  the  gunner,  who  received  a 
musket  ball  in  his  right  breast." 

On  Sunday,  July  loth,  while  the  Mercury  was  lying  in 
Fayal  harbour,  they  saw  a  large  ship  in  the  offing,  and 
immediately  gave  chase,  only  to  find,  however,  that  they 
had  "got  the  wrong  sow  by  the  ear,"  the  ship  being  a 
French  privateer  of  18  guns  and  200  men.  They  stood 
away  from  him,  but  he  followed  and  soon  gave  them  the 
contents  of  his  four  bow  chase  guns.  They  then  hove  their 
broadside  to  him,  and  at  four  o'clock  an  engagement  began, 
which  was  warmly  maintained  by  both  sides  till  half-past 
eight.  The  Mercury  received  three  shot  between  wind  and 
water,  and  was  otherwise  much  damaged,  but  no  one  on 
board  was  hurt.  Night  coming  on,  they  lay  till  morning, 
expecting  a  renewal  of  the  engagement,  but  as  soon  as  day- 
light appeared,  they  saw  the  enemy  six  leagues  off.  They 
were  obliged  to  keep  one  pump  going.  At  twelve  o'clock, 
they  felt  a  great  shock,  like  an  earthquake,  and  returned  to 
Fayal  harbour.  On  the  I4th  July,  they  left  Fayal,  and  off 
Port  Pine,  where  the  French  privateer  had  put  in,  "gave 
Monsieur  three  cheers,  which  he  returned,"  but  durst  not 
follow  them.  On  the  yth  of  August,  in  company  with  the 
Bellona  privateer,  of  London,  they  captured  a  Spanish  snow, 
laden  with  French  goods,  and  sent  her  to  England. 

The  snow  Mary,  Captain  Richmond,  in  her  passage  from 
Liverpool  to  America,  was  taken  by  the  Le  Roche  privateer, 
of  22  guns,  and,  nine  days  later,  retaken  by  His  Majesty's 
ship  Torbay,  the  captain  of  which,  having  taken  all  the 
Frenchmen  but  two  out  of  the  prize,  put  eight  Englishmen 
on  board  to  carry  her  into  port.  On  the  second  night,  after 
they  parted  with  the  man-of-war,  the  two  Frenchmen  broke 
into  the  cabin,  where  the  master  was  sleeping,  and  killed 
him,  wounded  most  of  the  men,  and  confined  them  below 
in  the  steerage  for  eight  hours.  One  of  the  Englishmen, 
by  the  glimpse  of  daylight,  finding  loopholes  in  the  after 


102  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

bulkhead,  luckily  met  with  a  musket,  knocked  a  plug  out, 
and  shot  one  of  the  Frenchmen  dead.  The  other  Frenchman 
immediately  jumped  overboard,  and  clung  to  the  rudder 
ring.  The  Englishmen,  having  got  him  on  board  again, 
had  the  humanity  to  spare  his  life,  and  carried  him  prisoner 
to  Dale,  near  Mil  ford  haven.  About  the  same  time,  the 
Landovery,  Captain  Johnson,  from  Liverpool  for  Jamaica,  in 
company  with  two  other  ships,  two  days  after  leaving  Cork, 
fell  in  with  a  large  French  privateer,  which  chased  the 
Landovery,  and  took  her  after  an  engagement  of  an 
hour-and-a-half.  The  John,  Captain  Peter  Gibson,  on  her 
passage  to  Virginia,  was  taken  by  a  French  frigate  and 
scuttled.  The  crew  were  carried  to  Dinan  and  close  confined, 
except  the  Captain  and  mate,  who  had  liberty  to  walk  the 
town  within  the  walls. 

One  Sunday  afternoon  in  October,  1756,  the  impressed 
men  confined  on  board  the  Bolton  tender  at  Hoylake 
mutinied,  and,  after  knocking  down  the  sentinels  and 
securing  their  arms,  took  possession  of  the  vessel.  In 
attempting  to  recover  the  ship,  the  mate  was  knocked  down 
with  the  butt  end  of  a  musket  by  one  of  the  mutineers,  and 
while  he  was  down,  two  others  struck  him  with  an  iron  bar 
and  a  handspike,  "though  entreated  to  the  contrary  by 
several  who  begged  for  his  life."  He  was  then  forced  into 
a  boat  and  put  on  shore,  where  he  died  of  his  wounds  in 
two  hours.  Several  people  were  "ill  hurt  in  the  scuffle," 
and  about  forty  of  the  impressed  men  made  their  escape 
to  Liverpool.  On  the  following  Wednesday  afternoon,  as 
Lieut.  Siddal  was  taking  one  of  the  captured  mutineers 
down  to  a  boat,  the  man  was  rescued  by  a  mob.  In  the 
evening,  having  doubtless  partaken  liberally  of  refresh- 
ments, they  assembled  again,  broke  open  the  watch-house, 
where  another  of  the  deserters  was  confined,  "used  ill  the 
master  of  the  watch,  broke  several  of  his  ribs,  and  took 
off  the  man  in  triumph." 


THE  SEVEN  YEARS'  WAR.  103 

The  brig  Jenny,  Captain  Brown  (Letter  of  Marque), 
belonging  to  Messrs.  John  Tarleton  &  Co.,  on  her 
passage  to  the  Leeward  Islands,  took  the  Legere,  300  tons 
burthen,  10  guns  and  30  men,  from  St.  Domingo  for 
Bordeaux,  laden  with  a  valuable  cargo  of  sugar,  coffee, 
and  indigo,  which  was  sold  by  the  candle  at  the  Bath 
Coffee-house,  in  Liverpool. 

On  the  Qth  of  October,  1756,  in  the  latitude  of  Tobago, 
the  Catherine  (Letter  of  Marque),  Captain  Augustine  Gwyn, 
had  a  very  close  and  sharp  engagement  for  eight  hours 
with  a  large  French  snow,  which  struck  to  the  Liverpool 
vessel.  Both  ships  had  their  rigging  and  sails  shot  to 
pieces.  The  Catherine  had  only  one  man  wounded,  while 
the  enemy  had  three  killed.  The  prize  was  subsequently 
retaken,  and  run  on  shore,  through  the  gross  carelessness 
of  the  prize-master.  Soon  after  this  affair,  the  Catherine 
was  chased  by  a  French  privateer  of  10  guns,  and  full  of 
men,  "  who  came  up  with  us,"  says  Captain  Gwyn,  "and 
fought  us  three  glasses,  but  my  people  behaved  gallantly 
and  beat  them  off.  They  made  attempts  to  board  ;  we 
raked  them  with  our  stern  chase,  which  made  them  glad  to 
sheer  off.  In  this  engagement  none  of  our  people  were 
hurt,  but  almost  every  rope  was  shot  away,  and  our  sails, 
&c.,  greatly  damaged."  In  1757,  while  in  command  of  the 
Fame  frigate,  350  tons  burthen,  20  carriage  guns  (twelve, 
nine,  and  six-pounders),  and  80  men,  a  Letter  of  Marque, 
belonging  to  Messrs.  John  Tarleton  &  Co.,  Captain  Gwyn, 
carried  into  Kingston,  Jamaica,  a  French  privateer  of  8 
guns  and  80  men,  which  he  took  off  Antigua.  He  also 
fell  in  with  three  other  privateers,  at  one  of  which  he  fired 
30  shot,  and  in  all  probability  would  have  taken  her,  if 
night  had  not  prevented  him.  He  likewise  brought  in  a 
Dutch  sloop,  laden  with  French  sugars;  "but,"  says  the 
correspondent,  "as  the  Dutch  are  artful  traders,  probably 
they  may  evade  our  laws  and  escape  with  impunity,  which 


104  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

too  many  of  them  have  done  this  war,  notwithstanding 
their  being  notorious  carriers  of  contraband  goods  to  our 
natural  enemy."  On  August  3ist,  1758,  the  Fame  retook 
the  brig  Truelove,  of  Lancaster,  and  the  brig  Jane,  of 
Sligo,  which  had  been  taken  by  the  famous  Marshal 
Belleisle  privateer,  of  St.  Malo,  commanded  by  the 
gallant  Captain  Thurot. 

The  paper  of  November  5th,  1756,  contains  the  following 
advertisement : — 

"All  gentlemen  seamen,  and  able-bodied  landmen  that  are 
willing"  to  fight  the  French  and  make  their  fortunes,  may  meet 
with  suitable  encouragement  by  entering  on  board  the  The 
Grand  Buck  Privateer,  Captain  John  Coppell,  Commander.  A 
ship  of  300  tons  burthen,  frigate  built,  6  feet  between  decks 
fore  and  aft,  mounting  20  carriage  guns,  twelve,  nine  and  six- 
pounders,  20  swivels,  and  200  men.  N.B. — The  ship  will  be 
ready  for  sea  in  a  fortnight,  and  now  lies  in  the  South  Dock. 
Apply  to  the  Captain  ;  or  to  Messrs.  Robert  Clay  &  Compy. , 
Merchants." 

Alas  for  the  vanity  of  human  intentions !  Notwithstanding 
this  brave  invitation,  there  is  nothing  to  record  of  the  doings 
of  this  privateer,  except  that  she  sailed  on  her  cruise  on 
December  8th.  The  ship  Cunliffe,  which  arrived  from 
North  Carolina,  reported  having  passed  a  derelict  rolling  in 
the  Atlantic,  which  some  of  the  Cunliffe's  crew  recognised 
as  the  The  Grand  Buck. 

The  Isaac  privateer,  16  guns,  Captain  David  Clatworthy, 
sailed  from  Liverpool  on  November  29th,  1756,  and  on  the 
8th  of  January,  1757,  carried  into  Kinsale,  the  Le  Victoire,  of 
Havre,  bound  for  St.  Domingo,  with  bale  goods,  gunpowder, 
etc.,  valued  at  ,£6,000.  She  had  on  board  9  carriage  guns, 
6  swivels,  and  50  men,  who  fired  two  broadsides  before  they 
struck.  Having  returned  to  Liverpool  to  refit,  the  Isaac 
sailed  on  another  cruise  in  the  following  June,  and  on 
July  1 5th,  Captain  Clatworthy  wrote  to  his  owners,  from 
Plymouth,  as  follows  : — 


THE  SEVEN  YEARS'   WAR.  105 

"  On  July  ist,  in  latitude  43°,  longitude  10°  57'  from  London, 
at  six  in  the  morning-,  we,  in  company  with  the  Shark  privateer, 
Captain  Abraham  Harman,  chased  a  ship  and  a  snow,  which 
proved  to  be  Spaniards  from  Cadiz  ;  one  bound  to  Ferrol,  the 
other  to  the  Groyne.  As  soon  as  we  had  discharged  them  we 
discovered  a  smoke  right  ahead,  and  in  a  short  time  heard  the 
firing  of  cannon,  upon  which  we  both  stretched  that  way  and 
soon  saw  a  large  French  ship  engaged  with  three  English 
privateers.  At  half-an-hour  past  ten  we  gave  her  a  gun,  and 
hoisted  our  English  colours,  which  she  answered  with  her 
broadside.  We  returned  the  compliment,  wore  ship  and 
berthed  ourselves  upon  her  quarter,  where  we  lay  for  two  hours 
and  a  half.  She  then  struck.  During  the  engagement,  we 
fired  our  bow  chase  43  times,  and  broadsides  as  fast  as  they 
could  be  repeated.  The  last  shot  fired  was  one  of  our  nine- 
pounders,  which  went  in  at  her  larboard  quarter,  and  killed  a 
relation  of  the  Captain's  ;  upon  which  they  instantly  struck, 
and  gave  the  victory  to  the  Isaac,  and  have  since  declared  that 
had  it  not  been  for  us,  they  would  not  have  been  taken.  I 
sent  Mr.  Valens  (first  lieutenant)  and  20  men  on  board  her. 
She  proved  to  be  the  Prince  of  Conti,  from  L'Orient  in  Old 
France,  bound  to  the  East  Indies,  Capt.  De  La  Motte, 
Commander,  her  burthen  800  tons,  mounts  50  guns,  (18 
twenty-four-pounders,  the  rest  twelve  and 'nine-pounders),  and 
had  195  men  ;  but  as  they  threw  their  papers  overboard,  with 
most  of  their  small  arms,  we  can  give  no  other  account  of  her 
cargo,  but  that  she  has  stores  on  board,  and  by  all  the 
intelligence  we  can  get,  cash,  and  have  reason  to  think  it  will 
prove  no  inconsiderable  sum.  The  privateers  engaged  with 
her  were  the  St.  George,  Robinson,  Slack  Prince,  Creighton, 
and  Boscaiven,  Harden,  all  of  London  ;  the  two  first  of  22  guns 
each,  the  last  of  16.  After  we  had  settled  our  affairs  on  board, 
as  well  as  the  hurry  and  confusion  would  admit,  it  was  agreed 
to  make  for  the  first  port  we  could  reach  ;  as  I  had  it  not  in 
my  power,  against  so  many  voices,  to  bring  her  to  Liverpool. 
Could  I  have  done  it,  nothing  would  have  given  me  so  much 
pleasure  as  the  shewing  you  one  of  the  finest  vessels  you 


106  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

perhaps  ever  saw  there.  We  had  the  misfortune  to  burst  one  of 
our  six-pounders,  which  killed  one  man,  and  wounded  another, 
who  is  since  recovered.  As  soon  as  we  get  in,  I  shall  enquire 
out  some  gentleman  of  undoubted  character  to  act  for  me  in 
case  I  should  sail  before  I  have  the  favour  of  your  answer.  I 
make  no  doubt  of  your  acting  to  our  mutual  interest.  You 
may  depend  on  my  using  all  diligence  to  serve  my  worthy 
owners.  Our  vessel  sails  so  incomparably  well  that  they  are 
all  courting  me  for  a  Consort ;  nor  would  I  have  you  think  I 
compliment  myself  when  I  inform  you  we  have  had  the  thanks 
of  the  whole  fleet  for  our  behaviour  in  the  action.  Our  officers 
all  acted  with  courage  and  discretion,  and  our  men  with  the 
greatest  bravery  ;  and  I  believe  that  had  we,  in  company  with 
a  vessel  equal  to  us  seen  the  prize  first,  we  should  have  needed 
no  farther  assistance.  If  I  should  sail  before  I  hear  from  you, 
I  shall  leave  an  exact  inventory  with  a  proper  officer,  but 
should  be  glad  if  you  were  here  to  act  for  me  and  crew,  as  the 
concern  is  too  considerable  for  any  but  trusty  hands.  I  am, 
&c.,  David  Clatworthy.  P.S. — The  first  day  I  was  on  my 
station,  I  fell  in  with  8  sail  of  French  Martinico  ships,  and  two 
frigates,  which  we  lost  in  the  night." 

The  Prince  de  Conti  was  reported  to  be  worth  ,£100,000, 
exclusive  of  the  cash  on  board,  which  must  have  been  a 
very  large  amount,  as  she  was  bound  to  Bengal  to  purchase 
English  merchandise. 

This  capture  of  a  rich  prize  was  not  effected  without 
some  heat  and  jealousy  arising  between  the  gallant  com- 
manders. Capt.  Harden,  of  the  Boscawen,  felt  aggrieved, 
and  wrote  to  one  of  his  owners  in  these  forcible  terms  :— 

"Notwithstanding  the  many  and  villainous  reports  you 
have  heard  of  my  being  astern  and  out  of  gun  shot  when  the 
Frenchman  struck,  you  yourself  may  judge  of  the  truth  of  it, 
as  our  boat  was  on  board,  brought  off  the  captain  and  several 
of  his  principal  officers,  and  returned  again  on  board  long 
before  any  of  the  other  boats  were  there.  It  would  have  been 
impossible  for  us  to  board  her  first  had  we  been  out  of  gunshot 


THE  SEVEN  YEARS'   WAR.  107 

or  at  a  greater  distance  than  the  rest.  All  the  men  on  board 
our  ship  are  ready  to  swear  we  were  nearest  when  she  struck, 
and  those  that  have  spread  this  infamous  report  have  not 
souls  to  stand  to  it  like  men,  for  when  they  were  charged  with 
it  by  myself  and  challenged,  they  meanly  denied  it  and  begged 
pardon,  and  in  everything  relinquish  those  great  feats  they 
boasted  of  in  the  papers." 

In  1758,  the  Isaac,  on  her  passage  to  Barbadoes,  took 
the  L? Aimable  Marie,  from  Nantz  for  St.  Domingo,  and 
beat  off  a  French  privateer  of  12  guns,  after  an  engagement 
of  an  hour  and  a  half.  Twenty  years  after,  the  Isaac 
appeared  in  the  Channel  as  the  American  privateer  General 
Mifflin,  and  played  sad  havoc  with  the  commerce  of  her 
former  friends. 

The  following  very  remarkable  letter,  dated  December 
nth,  1756,  was  received  from  on  board  the  Hibernia,  Capt. 
Watson,  ''off  Rogipore,  a  little  to  the  southward  of 
Bombay": — 

"This  day  about  noon,  we  saw  several  calevats,  or 
rather,  gallevats,  or  war-boats  armed  with  swivel  guns  and 
doubly  manned.  They  were  at  a  considerable  distance,  and 
crowded  about  a  ketch,  which  they  seemed  to  tow  along.  The 
captain  and  chief  mate,  who  were  both  well  acquainted  with 
the  Malabar  coast,  immediately  declared  it  was  the  Meelwan 
fleet,  which  had  made  a  prize  of  this  ketch,  and  was  towing 
her  in  shore,  to  get  out  of  our  way.  These  Meelwans,  or 
Kemasants,  as  the  Portuguese  call  them,  are  a  nest  of  pirates, 
a  little  to  the  southward  of  Gary,  and  formerly  subjects  to,  or 
allies  of  Angria,  the  grand  pirate,  on  the  Malabar  Coast.  The 
chief  mate  was  positive  that  it  was  Capt.  Scott,  of  Blay's 
ketch,  and  that  it  would  be  a  piece  of  good  service  to  retake 
her  from  the  pirates,  whose  calevats  were  twelve  in  number. 
Accordingly  we  bore  away  likewise  in  shore,  and  endeavoured 
by  all  means  to  come  up  with  them,  but  there  being  little 
wind,  and  we  having  a  luggage  boat  of  70  or  80  tons  to  tow 
after  us,  they  lugged  the  ketch  along,  and  kept  at  a  consider- 


108  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

able  distance  from  us  all  the  afternoon.  However,  about 
half  an  hour  after  eight  o'clock  at  night  we  came  within  gun- 
shot of  them,  when  firing  only  two  nine-pounders  among 
them,  the  calevats  abandoned  their  prey,  and  ran  in  shore  into 
shallow  water,  whither  we  could  not  follow  them.  Our  chief 
mate  and  twelve  men  went  armed  cap-a-pie,  with  their  muskets 
and  cutlasses,  and  took  possession  of  the  ketch,  which  the 
pirates  had  robbed  of  part  of  the  cargo.  It  belonged  to  some 
merchants  of  Calicut,  and  was  bound  for  Muscat  with  Malabar 
goods,  as  cassia,  pepper,  bottlenuts,  cardamoms,  sandal- 
wood,  &c. 

"The  vessel  itself,  with  what  is  left  of  the  cargo,  I  judge 
will  amount  to  8,000  rupees,  or  ,£1,000  sterling,  which  we 
shall  divide  among  us,  according  to  the  rates  of  the  navy. 
The  affecting  part,  however,  of  this  affair  is  what  follows  : — 
Our  chief  mate  had  orders  to  send  all  the  prisoners  on  board 
the  Hibernta,  and  to  keep  possession  of  the  ketch  with  our 
men.  But,  good  God !  when  they  came  on  board,  what  a 
moving  sight !  Out  of  25  men,  hardly  any  could  walk,  or 
even  stand,  without  being  supported.  Thrice  had  they  sus- 
tained the  attack  of  12  calevats,  and  as  many  times  repulsed 
them,  partly  with  their  swivel  guns,  and  partly  with  stones, 
spears,  and  cutlasses.  This  hot  action  lasted  about  two  hours, 
during  which  the  ketch's  people  behaved  exceeding  well,  and 
the  captain  or  Nokedy,  as  the  country  people  here  call  him, 
killed  five  of  the  assailants  with  his  own  hand.  However,  as 
the  pirates  were  twelve  times  more  numerous  than  the  ketch's 
people,  they  got  on  board  her  a  fourth  time ;  when  the  Nokedy 
asking  his  men  which  of  them  would  stand  by  him,  two  of 
them  only  offered  themselves,  and  were  in  a  manner  cut  to 
pieces  along  with  their  Captain,  who  fell  fighting  heroically, 
if  I  may  be  allowed  such  a  term,  for  his  liberty  and  property. 
He  was  the  only  man  that  was  killed  outright,  but  almost  all 
the  rest  were  wounded  in  a  most  frightful  manner,  particularly 
the  two  men  who  stood  by  their  Captain  to  the  last.  Some  of 
them  must  have  been  stabbed  as  they  retired,  the  wounds 
being  in  the  hinder  parts  of  the  body  ;  but  the  two  brave  men 


THE  SEVEN  YEARS'   WAR.  109 

already  mentioned  received  all  theirs  in  the  fore  parts.  One 
had  a  piece  as  large  as  the  palm  of  the  hand  almost  cut  off 
from  the  forehead,  and  a  deep  cut  on  the  crown  of  his  head, 
which  we  imagine  will  prove  mortal,  as  the  skull  is  fractured. 
Good  God  !  what  a  gash  it  is  !  These  two  wounds,  it  seems, 
laid  him  flat,  sprawling  upon  the  deck,  and  indeed  any  one  of 
them,  especially  the  last,  was  sufficient  to  stun  the  most  stout- 
hearted. The  other  was  cut  and  slashed  all  over  the  body. 
He  had  received  a  frightful  wound  on  the  right  side  of  his 
face,  which  had  cut  off  the  lower  half  of  his  ear,  and  laid  open 
the  jawbone  quite  to  the  chin,  and  even  the  integument  of  the 
neck  so  deep,  that  the  jugular  vessels  appeared.  The  patella, 
or  small  bone  of  his  left  knee  was  divided  in  two  by  another 
slash  that  reached  four  or  five  inches  in  length.  Another  gash 
across  the  outside  of  the  left  thigh  penetrated  to  the  bone, 
dividing  asunder  a  large  nerve  as  big  as  a  man's  finger.  He 
had  received  another  wound  between  the  elbow  and  wrist  of 
his  left  hand,  which  had  cut  asunder  the  nerves  which  serve  to 
move  the  fingers,  and  penetrated  quite  to  the  bone.  All  this 
time  he  stood  fighting  the  enemy  with  his  right  hand,  till  at 
last  a  wound  received  athwart  the  fingers  of  his  right  hand, 
whereby  one  finger  was  cut  off  and  two  others  deeply  wounded, 
proved  a  finishing  stroke,  so  that,  no  longer  able  to  hold  his 
cutlass,  he  fell  down  upon  the  deck,  bleeding  at  numerous  and 
also  very  deep  wounds.  And,  indeed,  it  is  surprising  he  could 
have  stood  so  long,  considering  the  vast  discharge  of  blood 
from  his  wounds.  Capt.  Watson,  whose  humanity  on  this 
occasion  deserves  particular  praise,  acting  as  Surgeon's  assis- 
tant, preparing  bandages,  tents,  plegets,  plaisters.  &c.  He 
took  a  great  deal  of  pains  in  washing,  cleaning,  and  dressing 
their  wounds;  and,  besides  the  plaisters  put  up  in  the  medicine 
chest,  made  vise  of  Balm  of  Gilead,*  which  he  poured  plentifully 

*The  celebrated  "  Balm  of  Gilead  "  was  prepared  in  Liverpool  by  two  Hebrew 
quacks,  named  Solomon,  father  and  son.  Dr.  Solomon  (the  younger)  made  a  large 
fortune  out  of  the  Balm  ;  and  died  about  1819.  He  resided  in  his  later  years  at 
Gilead  House,  Kensington,  and  was  a  curious  political  and  social  character.  In 
1803,  he  started  the  first  daily  newspaper  published  out  of  London. — See  "Historic 
Notes  on  Medicine,  Surgery  and  Quackery";  by  the  present  writer,  in  the  Lancet, 
April-May,  1897,  or  the  "Streets  of  Liverpool, "  by  Stonehouse. 


110  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

in  the  wounds,  securing  all  with  tents  and  plegets  dipt  in  the 
same   balsam,    which    he    had    purchased    at   Judah    the    last 
summer.     And  the  better  to  see  them  taken  care  of,  they  were 
all   brought   on   board   the   Hibernia   till   we   should  arrive  at 
Tillecherry,  where  the  captain  intends  to  put   them  all  under 
the  care  of  Dr.  Gill,  the  Company's  Surgeon." 
Williamson's  Advertiser  of  December   lyth,    1756,    con- 
tained the  following  spirited  description  of  another  private 
ship  of  war  : — 

"  Now  fitting  out  for  a  cruise,  and  will  be  ready   to   sail 

next  week  against  the  Enemy  of  Great  Britain,  the  ship  King 

of    Prussia      privateer,     under     the     command     of     William 

Mackaffee.     Burthen  250  tons,  mounts  16  carriage  guns  (all 

nine-pounders)  20  swivels,  and  154  men.    All  gentlemen  seamen 

and  ablebodied  landmen,  that  are  willing  to  imitate  the  brave 

King  whose  name  the  ship  bears,   in  curbing  the  insolence  of 

the  French,  and  making  their  fortunes  immediately,  will  meet 

with  suitable  encouragement  by  applying  to   Messrs.  Thomas 

Parke  &  Stanhope  Mason,  Merchants,  or  the  Commander.    N.B. 

This  ship  carried  a  commission  the  last  war,  met  with  great 

success  in  taking  many  prizes,  and  is  a  remarkable  prime  sailor. " 

She  sailed  from  Liverpool   "to  curb  the  insolence  of  the 

French,"  by  capturing  their  property  at  sea,  on  January 

29th,  1757.     Captain  Mackaffee,  writing  from  Gibraltar  on 

the    22nd    of  April,    gives    the    following   account   of  his 

movements  : — 

"  After  a  long  and  tedious  cruise,  we  arrived  at  Gibraltar. 
The  day  after  our  arrival  there  was  an  engagement  between 
five  English  and  four  French  men-of-war.  Our  ships  were 
superior  by  one  gun.  On  hearing  their  fire  we  slipped  and 
made  for  the  Gut,  where  we  fell  in  with  the  outward  bound 
fleet  and  engaged  them.  Five  sail  struck  to  us,  but  the  four 
French  men-of-war,  which  were  their  convoy,  bearing  down 
upon  us,  I  was  obliged  to  quit,  but  soon  joined  the  fleet,  and 
it  being  dark  they  could  not  discover  us.  I  came  alongside 
the  French  Commodore,  and  boarded  one  of  the  fleet,  without 


THE  SEVEN  YEARS'  WAR.  Ill 

the  loss  of  a  man.  When  the  prisoners  came  on  board,  we 
gave  chase  and  fell  in  with  a  French  privateer  and  one 
merchant  ship.  We  drove  them  both  into  Cadiz,  and  then 
returned  to  Gibraltar.  I  have  lost  three  men.  Our  ship's 
company  is  in  great  spirits,  we  being  extremely  well  manned. 
The  King  of  Prussia  is  a  fine  ship,  and  carries  her  metal  well. 
The  prize,  having  the  French  King's  Commission  on  board, 
was  easily  condemned." 

The  prize  so  daringly  captured  was  the  snow  La 
Favourite,  whose  cargo  was  invoiced  at  30,000  livres.  The 
French  prisoners  reported  that  she  had  20,000  dollars  on 
board,  and  was  the  richest  vessel*  in  the  fleet.  Admiral 
Saunders  and  his  squadron,  having  heard  the  firing  of  the 
privateer,  were  entitled  to  a  share  of  the  capture,  "  but  the 
noble  spirited  Admiral  gave  up  his  claim  in  favour  of  the 
captors,  and  the  rest  of  the  captains  followed  his  example." 
Writing  from  Candia  in  July,  1757,  Captain  Mackaffee 
tells  his  owners  that  after  leaving  Gibraltar  he  was  obliged 
to  abandon  his  proposed  cruising  station,  being  pestered  by 
English  privateers.  He  proceeded  up  the  Straits  as  far  as 
the  Channel  of  Malta,  where  he  took  a  Swedish  ship  of  22 
guns,  laden  with  French  property,  from  Smyrna.  She  had 
370  bags  of  cotton,  and  her  hold  full  of  wheat.  Captain 
Mackaffee  instructed  his  first  lieutenant  to  proceed  with  her 
to  Gibraltar,  but  the  heating  of  the  wheat,  the  number  of 
enemies  swarming  around,  and  the  unruly  conduct  of  the 
Swedes  on  board,  compelled  the  lieutenant  to  put  into 
Malta,  where  the  cargo  was  condemned  and  the  vessel  dis- 
charged. The  captain  then  relates  his  own  doings  in  the 
King  of  Prussia,  as  follows  : — 

"  I  then  proceeded  farther  up   the  Arches,   having  intelli- 

*She  was  sold  by  auction  in  Liverpool  on  March  27th,  1758,  with  her  entire 
cargo,  which  consisted  of  the  following  curious  assortment  :  Castile  soap,  tallow, 
wax  candles,  sweetmeats,  capers,  bitter  and  sweet  almonds,  flour,  cheese,  cordial 
drams,  lavender  and  Hungary  waters,  caplier,  shoes,  "  sallet  oyl,"  kidney  beans, 
earthenware,  nails,  perfumed  poma,  etc.,  raisins,  paving  tiles,  anchovies,  writing 
paper,  claret  (120  hogsheads),  wood  hoops  and  medicines. 


112  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

gence  of  many  French  vessels  passing-,  where  we  fell  in  with 
three  English  privateers.  They  informed  me  that  the  Anson 
and  Blakeney,  of  Liverpool,  were  not  twelve  leagues  off  us. 
According  to  orders,  would  not  engage  to  keep  company  with 
any  of  them.  I  put  into  Zinda  in  Candia,  watered  and  victualled 
the  ship  at  easy  expense,  having  met  with  so  much  money 
which  belonged  to  the  French  merchants  on  board  the  Swedish 
ship,  which  defrayed  expenses.  I  stayed  in  there  six  days  at 
the  first  time,  and  put  out,  giving  out  I  was  bound  to  Con- 
stantinople, immediately  went  round  Candia,  where  we  had 
the  good  fortune  to  meet  with  a  French  ship  with  Turkish 
passengers,  and  cargo  on  board.  I  ransomed  her  for  three 
hundred  Turkish  chequins,  which  was  paid  by  the  said  mer- 
chants before  we  parted  with  her.  Four  days  after,  I  had  the 
good  fortune  to  fall  in  with  a  French  ship  called  La  Murice, 
mounting  12  guns,  from  Zinda,  bound  to  Marseilles.  After 
seven  hours'  chase,  she  struck.,  without  firing  a  gun.  Her  cargo 
by  the  French  Captain  is  valued  at  225,000  French  Livres. 
Meeting  with  contrary  winds,  and  having  many  prisoners  on 
board,  was  obliged  to  put  in  a  second  time  into  Candia. 
During  the  time  since  I  left  this  place,  orders  was  sent  from 
the  Grand  Seignior,  that  all  vessels,  whether  English  or 
French,  that  brought  in  any  prizes,  should  not  be  condemned 
until  he  was  acquainted.  I  am  very  much  afraid  the  condemna- 
tion will  be  very  expensive.  The  Governor  of  Candia  this  day 
is  to  give  me  security  for  the  prize,  until  he  hears  from  the 
Grand  Seignior,  for  which  reason  have  made  him  a  very  rich 
present  of  a  Turkish  carpet,  as  there  is  nothing  to  be  done 
here  unless  by  presents.  I  put  into  Zinda  in  Candia,  being  the 
best  port,  and  was  detained  at  Candia  as  prisoner  at  large, 
until  the  prize  came  in,  for  fear  I  should  put  out  with  my 
prize,  by  their  fort,  but  as  the  prize  is  now  in  their  possession, 
hope  things  will  be  easy.  I  have  desired  to  go  out  on  a  cruise, 
until  the  prize  is  condemned,  and  then  call  and  bring  her  along 
with  me,  having  now  remaining  on  board  the  brave  King  of 
Prussia  100  men  in  perfect  health,  besides  those  with  the  prize 
at  Malta  and  Candia." 


THE  SEVEN  YEARS'  WAR.  113 

On  the  3Oth  of  August,  Captain  Mackaffee  writes  again 
to  his  owners,  from  Syracuse,  in  Sicily,  in  the  following 
pleasant  vein  : — 

"  I  acquaint  you  with  pleasure  that  we  have  taken  another 
large  French  ship,  employed  as  a  caravan  to  carry  Turks  and 
their  effects  from  one  port  to  another,  whom  I  ransomed  for 
i  ,000  chequins  ;  there  were  about  100  Turkish  gentlemen  and 
passengers  on  board,  who  immediately  advanced  the  money. 
We  have  a  brave  ship's  company,  and  expect  to  eat  a 
Christmas  dinner  in  Liverpool,  having  not  less  than  30  laced 
hat  gentry,  and  not  one  sick  man  on  board.  My  expenses 
have  been  so  trifling  that  I  expect  to  trouble  the  owners  with 
few  bills  ;  and  I  shall  do  my  endeavour  to  gain  the  respect  of 
my  King,  Country,  and  Owners. 

"What  we  have  had  from  neutral  bottoms  we  have  paid 

for  with  French  money  ;  and  you  will  hear  of  no  complaints, 

except  using  the    enemy  too  well,  and  not  plundering  their 

clothes.      I  propose  sailing  on  the  remainder  of  our  cruise  the 

first  fair  wind  ;  and  as  we  met  with  six  carriage  guns  and  four 

swivels,  which  the  enemy  was  so  civil  to  give  us,  I  have  lent 

them  to  Capt.  Benn,  who  mounts  now  18  guns,  &c.,  &c." 

In  November,  the  King  of  Prussia  carried  into  Syracuse 

a  French   polacca,   richly  laden,  which  they  had  taken  off 

the  island  of  Candia.       In   February,    1758,   the  privateer 

arrived  at  Gibraltar  with  a  prize  from  Malta,  and  on  the 

yth  of  August  the  successful  cruiser  was  sold  by  auction 

at  the   Golden  Fleece ',   in   Liverpool.      In  March,  1759,  we 

read  that  the  Thames,  laden  with  the  valuable  cargo  of  the 

prize  belonging  to  the  King  of  Prussia  had  arrived  in  the 

Downs  from  the  Mediterranean.      The  reader  may  possibly 

envy  the  owners  of  this  gallant  vessel,  and  wonder  what 

they  did  with  all  the  plunder.     One  of  them,  at  any  rate, 

did  not  prosper,  for  in  the  paper  of  December  8th,  1758, 

we  find  the  following  : — 

"On  Tuesday  night  died  Mrs.  Dorothy  Parke,  widow  of 
the  late  Capt.  Parke,  formerly  a  commander  in  the  West  India 
H 


114  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

trade.  It  is  said  that  the  misfortune  of  her  sons,  Messrs.  John 
Parke,  of  London,  merchant,  and  Thomas  Parke,  ironmonger, 
here,  being-  both  bankrupts,  affected  her  so  much  that  she 
immediately  took  to  her  bed,  and  appeared  to  be  broken- 
hearted." 

In  the  year  1757,  the  activity  of  the  French  privateers  was 
phenomenal.  It  was  computed  from  the  number  of 
Carolina  ships  taken  that  the  French  had  got  the  year's 
whole  produce  of  indigo  from  that  colony,  excepting  about 
60,000  Ibs.  brought  in  one  or  two  ships  that  escaped  the 
enemy.  "Much  to  the  honour  of  a  nation  possessed  of 
above  200  men  of  war  !  "  observes  the  newspaper.  "  Happy 
if  the  trade  from  Carolina  had  put  into  Ireland  and  waited 
for  convoy  ;  but  though  we  have  been  unfortunate  with 
respect  to  several  merchant  ships,  we  have  taken  above 
fifty  French  privateers,  whereas  we  can't  learn  that  they 
have  taken  more  than  three  of  ours."  This,  of  course, 
refers  to  the  whole  kingdom.  A  month  later,  the  number  of 
French  privateers  taken  had  risen  to  78,  but  we  read  that 
the  account  "of  the  increase  of  the  French  privateers  upon 
all  our  coasts  are  most  shocking  and  alarming,  and  unless 
timely  dispersed  must  terminate  in  the  ruin  of  our  com- 
merce." The  French  privateers  swarmed  in  every  sea, 
many  of  them  cruising  from  100  to  180  leagues  to  the 
westward  of  Cape  Clear,  in  lat.  48°  and  49.°  They  cruised 
so  thick  round  the  island  of  Antigua  that  it  was  next  to  a 
miracle  for  an  English  vessel  to  get  in  there,  except  under 
convoy.  It  was  stated  that  from  August,  1756,  to  February, 
1757,  the  French  privateers  had  taken  70  English  vessels, 
chiefly  owing  to  the  small  number  of  2O-gun  ships  and 
sloops  stationed  in  that  quarter  of  the  world  for  the  pro- 
tection of  British  commerce.  A  ransomer  who  came  over 
from  Dunkirk  stated  that  from  January  27th,  1/56,  to 
March  5th,  1758,  the  privateers  belonging  to  that  place 
had  taken  136  British  ships,  78  of  which  they  ransomed. 


THE  SEVEN  YEARS'   WAR.  115 

From  the  commencement  of  the  war  up  to  July  i2th,  1757, 
the  French  had  taken  637  British  vessels  ;  the  ships  taken 
from  the  French  during  the  same  period  were  68 1  merchant- 
men and  91  privateers,  making  a  total  of  772.  It  was 
calculated  that  the  English  had  profited  by  captures 
upwards  of  two  millions.  But,  in  spite  of  Brown's 
"Estimate,"  a  book  published  at  this  time,  in  which  the 
author,  as  Macaulay  observes,  "fully  convinced  his  readers 
that  they  were  a  race  of  cowards  and  scoundrels  ;  that 
nothing  could  save  them  ;  that  they  were  on  the  point  of 
being  enslaved  by  their  enemies,  and  that  they  richly 
deserved  their  fate  ;" — in  spite  of  all  this,  the  pluck  of  the 
British  race  was  not  a  bit  cowed.  In  the  paper  of  May 
1 3th,  1757,  we  read  that  "the  spirit  of  privateering  had 
diffused  itself  amongst  all  our  colonies  abroad  in  so  exten- 
sive a  manner  that  even  many  of  the  Quakers  breathed 
revenge  against  our  perfidious  enemies.  The  Sprye  a 
privateer  belonging  to  Philadelphia,  of  22  nine-pounders, 
and  208  men,  commanded  by  the  brave  Obadiah  Bold  (a 
Quaker),  sailed  for  Tobago,"  on  a  cruise.  It  must  have 
been  a  rich  treat  to  see  the  gentle  Obadiah  in  action, 
"thee"-ing  and  "  thou  "-ing  his  brave  fellows,  while 
directing  their  fire  to  the  vitals  of  the  enemy.  We  picture 
him  to  ourselves  pacing  the  quarter  deck,  a  harmless- 
looking,  little  man,  placid  amongst  the  crashing  of  cannon- 
balls,  the  rattle  of  small  arms,  the  shrieks  of  the  wounded, 
and  all  the  attendant  horrors  of  a  tough  seafight  when  the 
Bloody  Flag  is  flying.  He  is  the  coolest,  yet  most  deter- 
mined, man  on  deck,  and  at  his  sih^ery  voice,  raised  in  com- 
mand, men  are  hurled  headlong  into  eternity.  But  let  us 
leave  the  realms  of  fancy,  and  stick,  as  we  have  hitherto 
done,  to  strict  matters  of  fact.  The  spirit  of  privateering  had 
diffused  itself  in  Wales  also,  for  the  paper  of  April  7th,  1757, 
tells  us  that  "  Last  Saturday  sailed  out  of  Beaumaris  Bay, 
in  Wales,  the  St.  David  privateer,  of  20  carriage  guns 


116  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

and  16  swivels,  commanded  by  Captain  Reeves  Jones, 
fitted  out  by  a  Society  of  Ancient  Britons."  After  being 
out  a  few  days,  the  St.  David  returned  to  Beaumaris  bring- 
ing in  with  her  a  new  French  privateer  of  12  carriage  and 
16  swivel  guns,  which  she  had  taken  after  a  very  smart 
engagement  of  two  hours  and-a-half.  The  French  had 
29  men  killed  and  the  Welsh  five,  which  argues  that  some 
of  the  valour  of  Fluellen  and  Glendower  still  remained  in 
the  land. 

On  the  5th  of  December,  1757,  the  ship  Trafford,  Captain 
Marshall,  in  her  passage  from  Virginia  to  Liverpool,  fell 
in  with  a  privateer  from  Louisbourg,  and  engaged  her 
closely  four  hours  and-a-half,  but  was  obliged  at  last  to 
strike,  having  received  considerable  damage,  and  her 
ammunition  being  nearly  expended. 

The  commanders  of  the  King's  ships  appear  to  have  been 
shamefully  relax  in  the  unpleasant  duty  of  convoying  mer- 
chant vessels,  and  in  pursuing  the  privateers  of  the  enemy, 
during  the  early  part  of  this  war.  It  was  customary  to 
announce  the  date  of  sailing  as  follows  :— 

"  The  captain  of  his  Majesty's  sloop  Otter  gives  this  public 
notice  to  the  merchants,  freighters,  and  owners  of  such  trading 
vessels  now  in  this  port,  and  the  ports  of  Chester  and  White- 
haven,  bound  up  the  English  Channel  as  far  as  Plimouth,  that 
he  proposes  sailing  by  the  28th  instant,  when  all  vessels  who 
are  ready  may  have  the  benefit  of  his  convoy. — Dated  in  Hyle- 
lake,  July  20,  1757." 

In  March,  1757,  the  Lords  of  the  Admiralty  signified  to 
the  merchants,  that  "on  its  being  made  to  appear  to  them 
that  any  commanders  of  men-of-war  had  been  defective  in 
their  duty  of  convoying  or  protecting  their  ships,  or  pursu- 
ing privateers,  on  notice  being  'given,  they  should  be  dealt 
with  according  to  their  deserts." 

That  it  was  necessary  to  make  an  example  of  somebody, 
is  clear  from  a  letter  written  by  Captain  Isaac  Winn,  of  the 


THE  SEVEN  YEARS'   WAR.  117 

Dolly  &  Nancy,  who  had  been  blamed  by  the  underwriters 
for  sailing  from  Dartmouth  to  Liverpool  without  convoy, 
which  resulted  in  his  ship  being  taken  by  a  privateer  of  St. 
Malo,  and  his  imprisonment  at  Dieppe.  After  describing 
his  efforts  to  join  some  men-of-war  which  were  convoying  a 
fleet  of  merchant  ships,  and  the  commodore's  conduct  in 
ignoring  .his  signals  of  distress,  etc.,  the  captain  relates 
what  befell  him  one  morning,  when  a  calm  had  succeeded 
the  gale  : — 

"At  daylight  we  saw  several  sail  all  around  us,  one  of 
which  we  took  for  a  man-of-war,  and  not  far  from  us,  to  wind- 
ward, was  a  sloop,  which  we  took  for  a  tender.  She  was  so 
like  a  Folkstone  cutter  that  the  people  I  had  for  those  that 
were  impressed  at  Dartmouth,  took  her  for  the  tender  belong- 
ing- to  their  ship.  It  being  quite  calm,  she  rowed  up  with  us, 
nor  did  we  perceive  our  mistake  till  we  heard  them  talk  French 
on  board  the  privateer  (as  she  proved),  which  was  not  till  she 
was  within  half  a  musket  shot,  for  before  they  talked  English. 
They  immediately  boarded  us,  the  consequence  of  which  was 
(as  we  had  nothing  to  defend  ourselves)  our  being  taken, 
being  the  eleventh  prize  taken  by  the  said  privateer  this 
winter,  or  rather  the  last,  by  the  shameful  neglect  of  our 
cruisers,  which  is  so  flagrant  that  the  French  themselves  laugh 
at  it.  When  I  told  the  Captain  I  did  not  doubt  of  meeting 
some  of  them  before  he  got  me  to  France,  "  Well,"  says  he, 
"  if  we  do,  they  will  not  chase  us  if  we  don't  hoist  French 
colours"  We  were  not  above  a  league  off  Beachy  Head  when 
taken,  and  it  continued  calm  till  midnight.  Thus,  gentlemen, 
you  have  lost  a  good  ship  and  a  good  freight,  and  we  all  that 
we  had  on  board,  and  our  liberty.  I  am  in  the  common 
prison,  without  so  much  as  a  shirt  to  shift  myself  with,  having 
nothing  but  what  I  had  on  when  taken.  They  allow  me  four- 
pence  per  day  to  live  upon,  out  of  which  I  pay  for  a  bed  for 
myself  and  mate,  otherwise  I  must  lie  amongst  straw  and 
filth,  with  the  rest  of  my  poor  fellows.  This  is  hard  usage. 
Notwithstanding  I  can  sooner  forgive  the  authors  of  it  than 


118  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

the  villains  who  commanded  the  above-mentioned  two  men-of- 
war,  who,  if  they  had  suffered  us  to  join  them,  might  have 
prevented  our  being-  taken.  Rage  and  vexation  hinder  me 
from  adding  any  more,  than  that  I  am,  with  the  greatest  respect, 
and  sorrow  for  your  loss,  gentlemen,  Your  friend  and  servant, 
ISAAC  WINN. 

P.  S.     All  who   have  any  relations  at  Liverpool  are  well, 

and  give  their  love   to  said  relations.      I   write  this  with  the 

help  of  a  wood  pen,  and  soot   and  water.     Are   the   French 

prisoners  so  used  in  England  ?     I  hope  not." 

In  April,  1757,  Captain  Walter   Barber,  in   bringing  his 

ship  the  Resolution  to  Liverpool  to  be  re-fitted  as  a  privateer, 

undertook  to  convoy  33  sail  from  the  Downs  to  Spithead. 

"  We  were  for  forty  hours  visited  by  three  French  privateers, 

till  Captain  Barber  beat  them  off,"  writes  one  of  the  captains 

to  his  owners.     "  He  is  the  most  honourable  commander  I 

ever  was  under."     After  striking  on  a  rock  three  times  and 

losing  her  rudder,  the  Resolution  arrived  in  Liverpool.     A 

romantic  affair  in  connection  with  this  ship,  is  thus  reported 

in  the  paper  of  May  2Oth,  1757  : — 

"  A  young  person,  five  feet  high,  aged  about  nineteen,  who 
entered  in  January  last  on  board  the  Resolution  privateer, 
Capt.  Barber,  under  the  name  of  Arthur  Douglas,  proceeded 
with  the  ship  from  London  to  this  port,  went  aloft  to  furl  the 
sails,  &c. ,  when  called  upon,  was  frequently  mustered  amongst 
the  marines  at  the  time  they  exercised  the  small  arms,  and  in 
short  executed  the  office  of  a  landsman  in  all  shapes  with 
alacrity,  was  on  Saturday  last  discovered  to  be  a  woman  by 
one  of  her  mess-mates.  Tis  said  that  he  found  out  her  sex  on 
the  passage,  and  that  she,  to  prevent  a  discovery,  then 
promised  to  permit  him  to  keep  her  company  when  they 
arrived  here  ;  but  as  soon  as  they  came  into  port  refused  his 
addresses.  The  officers  in  general  give  her  a  very  modest 
character,  and  say  by  her  behaviour  that  she  must  have  had  a 
genteel  education.  She  has  changed  her  clothes,  but  will  not 
satisfy  any  of  them  with  her  name  or  quality  ;  only  that  she 


THE  SEVEN  YEARS'   WAR.  119 

left  home  on  account  of  a  breach  of  promise  of  her  lover.     'Tis 

remarkable  that  during-  their  passage  down,  on  the  appearance 

of  a  sail,  she  was  eager  to  be  fighting-,  and  no  ways  affected 

with  fear  or  sea  sickness." 

The  genius  of  our  novelists  can  expand  this  crude  outline 
into  a  stirring-  sea  novel  of  the  orthodox  size,  as  expeditiously 
as  certain  bacilli  are  said  to  transform  barley  meal  into  the 
richest  port  wine. 

The  Resolution  cruised  in  company  with  the  Spy 
privateer,  Captain  Pierce,  of  Liverpool,  "a  brave  vessel 
under  foot,  which  could  either  speak  with  or  leave "  any 
cruiser  on  the  sea,  but  beyond  a  smart  brush  with  a  French 
frigate  of  36  guns,  which  they  engaged  several  hours  and 
ultimately  beat  off,  the  joint  cruise  does  not  seem  to  have 
been  eventful  or  profitable,  both  vessels  being  forced  into 
Cork  by  loss  of  masts,  etc.  Captain  Barber  afterwards 
commanded  the  S/iawe  (Letter  of  Marque),  200  tons  burthen, 
12  guns,  belonging  to  Mr.  Edward  Deane,  which  was 
captured  while  employed  in  the  Jamaica  trade,  by  the 
French  frigate  Gronyard,  of  26  guns  and  130  men.  The 
British  frigate  Favourite  afterwards  took  the  Gronyard, 
which  was  said  to  be  the  richest  prize  taken  during  the  war, 
and  the  best  sailer  the  French  ever  possessed. 

On  December  22nd,  1757,  about  30  leagues  to  the  westward 
of  Vigo,  the  Spy,  in  company  with  the  Mercury,  took  the 
Mutiny  privateer,  of  St.  Jean  de  Luz,  a  brig  of  about  40 
tons  burthen,  2  carriage  guns,  6  swivels,  and  58  men, 
commanded  by  Dominique  Cannonier,  who  two  days  after 
leaving  port,  in  order  to  intercept  English  vessels  in  the 
Portugal  trade,  had  the  mortification  of  voyaging  to  Liver- 
pool a  prisoner  in  the  Spy.* 

*  The  following  curious  advertisement  appeared  in  Williamson 's  Advertiser, 
January,  1758: — "Notice  is  hereby  given  to  all  gentlemen,  seamen,  and  brave 
landmen,  that  have  courage  to  face  Monsieur,  that  the  Spy  Privateer,  Thomas 
Pierce,  Commander  (who  the  last  cruize  took  the  Mutiny  Privateer  of  Bayonne, 
the  Captain  of  which  says  he  saw  forty  English  Privateers  before,  and  tho'  chased, 
was  in  no  danger  of  being  taken  by  them  ;  but  depending  still  upon  his  Heels  had 


120  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

The  Muse  of  Poetry,  in  a  rather  distressed  condition, 
visited  Liverpool  in  1758,  and  produced  the  following  lines, 
which  appeared  in  the  Chronicle: — 

ON   THE    RESOLUTION    AND    SPYE    PRIVATEERS. 

As  poor  Britannia  pensive  stood,  deprest  with  grief  and  pain, 
Her  tears  encreas'd  the  briny  flood,  and  swell'd  the  curling 

main  ; 
"O   where  are  now  those  hearts,"  she  said,  "those  sons  of 

ancient  praise, 
Whose  look  would  strike  each  foe  with  dread,  and  endless 

trophies  raise  ! 

But  see  !  distrest  and  drooping  now,  I  can  no  longer  hold  ;" 
She   sigh'd   and  moan'd,   then  fainting  bow'd,   struck  with  a 

death-like  cold. 

Then  flew  two  lovers  of  the  maid,  rais'd  up  her  failing  arms  ; 
Offered  their  lives  her  cause  to  aid,  and  guard  her  from  alarms. 
Britannia  kind,  as  always  wont,  admir'd  their  noble  mind, 
And  bade  them  think,  in  danger's  front,  that  she  would  still  be 

kind. 

Take  you  my  spear,  my  shield  take  you,  as  proofs  of  my  regard  ; 
And  think  each  glorious  deed  you   do,   you've  valour's  just 

reward. 

Unarm'd  I'm  safe,  protected  so,  on  you  I  will  rely  ; 
Command  my  Resolution  you,  and  you  my  fav'rite  Spye  ; 
Hence  then,  my  heroes,  scourge  my  foes  ;  acquire  a  glorious 

name  ; 
Return  with  laurels  on  your  brows— in  death  I'll  sound  your 

fame. 

From  the  journal  of  Captain  Robert  Grimshaw,  of  the 
Spy  privateer,  we  find  that  he  sailed  from  Liverpool,  on  the 
i6th  of  March,  1758,  and  on  April  loth,  in  company  with 
the  Resolution  privateer,  Captain  McKee,  also  of  Liverpool, 

made  bold  to  look  at  the  Spy,  v\ho  after  a  long  chase,  shew'd  him  the  Way  to 
Liverpool.)  Mounting  twenty-two  carriage  guns,  besides  snivels,  to  carry  about 
one  hundred  and  fifty  men,  and  will  be  completely  htted  and  ready  to  sail  in  ten 
days  on  a  six  months'  cruize." 


THE  SEVEN  YEARS'   WAR.  121 

took  a  Spaniard,  from  Marseilles  for  Nantz,  laden  with 
Castile  soap,  Brazilletta  dyers'  wood,  olive  oil,  etc.  On  the 
1 7th,  they  recaptured  the  ship  Marlborough,  from  Jamaica 
for  London,  laden  with  176  casks  of  sugar,  12  puncheons  of 
rum,  27  casks  and  85  bags  of  pimento,  82  mahogany  planks 
and  152  hides  ;  the  ship  and  cargo  being  ultimately  sold  by 
auction,  at  the  Merchants'  Coffee-house.  On  May  i4th,  the 
Spy  sailed  from  Beaumaris  to  finish  her  cruise  ;  on  the  iQth, 
anchored  in  seven  fathom  water,  below  the  Spit,  at  the  Cove 
of  Cork  ;  the  22nd,  they  got  a  boat  down  from  Passage  with 
15  new  candidates  for  fortune's  favours,  several  of  whom, 
the  Captain  tells  us,  "wanted  to  go  ashore,  but  not  being 
allowed,  two  or  three  came  in  a  riotous  manner  upon  the 
gangway,  with  clubs,  threatening  to  knock  down  the  first 
lieutenant ;  upon  which  he  fired  a  loaded  pistol  at  them, 
which  dropped  one  ;  then  we  put  16  others  into  irons,  and 
afterwards  had  a  quiet  ship."  They  left  Cork  on  May  26th, 
and  on  the  28th,  gave  chase  and  came  up  with  the  St.  Philip 
and  St.  Jago,  from  Dublin  to  Cadiz,  laden  with  beef,  butter, 
hides,  linen  handkerchiefs,  buckskin  breeches,  etc.  They 
detained  her  till  next  morning,  and  finding,  on  examination, 
that  her  cargo  and  bills  of  lading  differed  from  each  other, 
as  likewise  her  clearances  from  the  Custom-house,  they  felt 
constrained  to  make  a  prize  of  her,  and  sent  her  to  Liverpool 
to  be  examined.  On  June  i6th,  they  fell  in  with  the  Princess 
Carolina,  with  236  hogsheads  of  French  sugar,  57  bags  of 
cotton,  and  252  bags  of  coffee  ;  and  the  Eendracht,  with 
859,790  Ibs.  of  French  sugar,  25,030  Ibs.  of  cotton,  256,036 
Ibs.  of  coffee,  2,058  Ibs.  of  indigo,  and  150  hides,  both  from 
St.  Eustatia,  for  Amsterdam.  From  the  earnestness  of  the 
commanders  to  secure  their  own  goods,  etc.,  Captain 
Grimshaw  and  his  officers  suspected  that  the  cargoes  were 
French  property,  therefore  felt  it  their  duty  "to  carry  them 
in,"  which  they  did  in  safety,  after  burying  Henry  Roberts, 
"  who  had  catched  the  smallpox." 


122  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

The  Resolution,  Captain  McKee,  having  assisted  her 
consort  the  Spy  to  recapture  the  Marlborough,  gave  chase 
to  the  Machault  privateer,  of  24  guns  and  230  men,  which 
had  taken  that  vessel,  but  the  Frenchman  got  clear  in  a 
squall.  On  May  iyth,  they  gave  chase  to  three  sail,  which 
they  boarded  the  following  day,  and  felt  justified,  on  the 
inspection  of  their  papers,  to  deem  two  of  them  legal 
prizes.  One  was  the  snow  St.  Jacob,  from  St.  Eustatia 
for  Amsterdam,  with  indigo,  sugar,  etc.,  and  the  other  the 
Catherine  Maria  galley,  from  Curacoa  for  the  same  port, 
with  coffee,  sugar,  indigo,  10  chests  and  i  cask  of  silver, 
etc.  On  the  2Qth  September,  the  Resolution,  in  company 
with  the  Nelly's  Resolution,*  of  London,  took  the  Smyrna 
Galley,  a  Dutch  ship  from  St.  Eustatia,  laden  with  coffee, 
indigo,  cotton,  and  400  hogsheads  of  sugar,  which  they 
despatched  for  Liverpool.  In  November,  the  Christopher, 
from  St.  Croix,  another  prize  taken  by  the  Resolution,  was 
lost  on  Spanish  Island.  The  Spy,  160  tons  burthen,  and 
the  Resolution,  403  tons,  were  sold  by  auction,  February 
2nd,  1759. 

The  Tartar  frigate,  Captain  Hugh  MacQuoid,  320  tons 
burthen,  22  guns  and  70  men,  belonging  to  Messrs. 
Halliday  and  Dunbar,  on  her  passage  to  New  York,  in 
company  with  the  Union,  Captain  Smith,  took  a  Dutch 
bottom,  homeward  bound  with  sugar,  etc.,  but  the  prize 
had  to  be  released.  The  Tartar  was  afterwards  stranded 
on  the  coast  of  Scotland,  and  only  ^"1,000  worth  of  her 
cargo  saved.  The  Philadelphia,  of  10  guns,  owned  by  the 
same  firm,  was  "esteemed  one  of  the  fastest  sailing  ships 
belonging  to  America." 

The  Johnson,  Captain  Gawith,  on  her  passage  to  Vir- 
ginia, took  a  French  brig  privateer,  and  the  Betty  (Letter 
of  Marque),  Captain  Rimmer,  took  a  ship  bound  from 

*  Probably  the  Ladies'  Resolution,  which  was  the  name  of  a  privateer  fitted  out 
by  the  ladies  of  London. 


THE  SEVEN  YEARS'   WAR.  123 

Martinico  to  Marseilles,  which  she  carried  into  Barbadoes. 
A  large  Dutch  ship  from  St.  Domingo  was  taken  and 
sent  into  Liverpool  by  the  General  Blakeney,  Captain  Loy 
(a  Letter  of  Marque),  bound  for  Jamaica.  Captain  Francis 
Lowndes,*  of  the  Baltimore,  from  Liverpool  to  Maryland, 
fell  in  with  three  large  French  ships  off  the  Island  of  St. 
Mary,  but  could  not  bring  them  to  an  engagement.  A  little 
later,  however,  he  took  the  Resolute,  a  French  vessel  from 
Curacoa  for  Amsterdam,  "  with  a  pretended  bill  of  sale  to 
the  Dutch,"  having  on  board  the  following  goods  :— 
240  Casks  of  Sugar  =  23 1,901  Ibs.  1320  Hides. 
209  ditto  Coffee=  35,803  ,,  41  Packs  Tobacco. 

28       ditto    Indigo  =      5,937  ,,  208  Sticks  Wood. 

26       ditto     Cocoa  =      6,229  ,, 

On  May  3Oth,  1757,  Captain  Salisbury,  in  the  Ottway,  on 
his  passage  from  Liverpool  to  Virginia,  took,  after  a  chase 
of  three  hours,  and  without  firing  a  gun,  a  brigantine  from 
St.  Domingo  for  Bordeaux,  laden  with  sugars,  coffee,  and 
indigo,  valued  at  ^"6000. 

In  the  same  month  the  Marlborough,  Captain  Ward,  on 
her  passage  from  Liverpool  to  Virginia,  met  a  large  French 
ship  of  16  guns,  which  she  fought  two  hours,  when  night 
put  an  end  to  hostilities.  About  five  in  the  morning 
they  fell  to  work  again,  and  continued  a  warm  engagement 
till  noon,  and  then  parted  by  mutual  consent.  The  Marl- 
borougli's  sails  and  rigging  were  much  shattered,  and  she 
had  one  man  killed  and  four  or  five  wounded.  "  My 
people,"  writes  Capt.  Ward,  "  behaved  well.  The  French 
captain  called  out  to  us  several  times  to  strike,  but  we 
answered  him  with  three  cheers." 

On  the  morning  of  the  7th  June,  1757,  the  Thistle,  Captain 
George  Foster,  a  small  ship  of  about  150  tons  burthen, 

*  The  paper  of  November  icth,  1794,  chronicles  the  death  of  "Francis 
Lowndes,  aged  69,  formerly  master  of  a  vessel,  etc.,  and  since  many  years  Clerk 
to  the  Pilots'  Committee  in  this  town." 


124  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

belonging  to  Mr.  John  M'Cullough,  merchant,  of  Liver- 
pool, and  carrying  only  2  four-pounders,  12  three-pounders 
(mostly  for  sale),  8  swivels,  and  20  men,  saw  a  sail  edging 
towards  her,  which  afterwards  proved  to  be  the  La  Jeune 
Anna  from  Bordeaux  to  Martinico,  burthen  350  tons,  laden 
with  wine,  provisions,  iron  and  dry  goods,  mounting  8 
nine-pounders,  2  four-pounders,  and  carrying  49  men. 
The  Thistle  hauled  up  for  her,  and  came  within  gunshot 
about  four  that  afternoon,  when  a  smart  engagement  was 
fought  for  about  an  hour,  "  and  then  Monsieur  took  to  his 
heels."  The  Thistle  crowded  after  him  all  night,  and  at 
four  in  the  morning  gave  him  a  few  broadsides,  upon  which 
he  struck,  having  had  three  men  killed  and  14  wounded, 
while  the  people  on  board  the  Thistle  escaped  scatheless. 
A  passenger  named  Blythe,  from  Manchester,  distinguished 
himself  by  his  conduct  and  bravery  in  the  action.  The 
French  officers  were  almost  distracted  when  they  stepped 
on  board  the  Thistle,  and  informed  the  captain  that  their 
adventures  cost  in  France  400,000  livres.  Captain  Haffey, 
of  the  Polly,  who  brought  the  news  of  the  capture  to  Liver- 
pool, reported  that  the  Frenchmen  were  so  enraged  to  find 
themselves  on  board  so  small  a  vessel  as  the  Thistle,  that 
they  attempted  three  times  to  retake  the  prize  after  Captain 
Foster  had  sent  them  off  with  the  boats  and  provisions 
sufficient  to  carry  them  into  Dominica. 

In  a  letter  dated  Antigua,  July  24th,  1757,  Captain  Thomas 
Onslow,  of  the  snow  Hesketh,  describes  his  experiences  on 
the  outward  passage  as  follows  : — 

"On  Monday  the  i3th  of  June,  (being  then  in  lat.  18.20 
running  for  Anguilla,  and  bound  for  Jamaica)  at  break  of  day 
we  saw  a  sail  off  our  starboard  quarter,  finding  her  to  stand 
towards  us,  about  half-past  eight,  being  then  very  nigh,  per- 
ceived her  to  be  a  French  Privateer,  we  prepared  ourselves  in 
readiness  for  their  reception,  and  at  nine  began  to  engage, 
which  lasted  till  half-past  eleven,  when  they  thought  proper  to 


THE  SEVEN  YEARS'   WAR.  125 

sheer  without  gunshot  of  us,  but  as  they  continued  following, 
and  at  a  particular  distance,  I  apprehended  her  consort  was 
not  far  off.  My  fears  soon  after  proved  too  true,  another 
privateer  appearing  on  our  larboard  bow,  and  in  ten  minutes 
we  had  them  both  alongside  us,  which  obliged  me  to  strike. 
The  first  was  a  sloop  from  Martinico,  of  six  guns,  all  three- 
pounders,  10  swivels,  and  70  men  on  board,  of  whom  we  killed 
two,  wounded  five,  broke  down  his  gunnelling  on  the  larboard 
bow,  burst  one  of  their  guns,  with  one  of  our  six-pound  shot 
taking  the  muzzle  off  it,  and  carried  away  his  jibb  stay.  As 
she  was  in  such  a  shattered  condition,  I  am  surprised  his  men 
escaped  so  well,  they  being  obliged  to  keep  both  pumps  work- 
ing to  keep  her  above  water.  We  received  no  other  damage 
than  that  of  a  few  blocks  being  split,  and  some  rigging  cut  by 
their  small  shot.  The  other  was  a  sloop  from  Guadaloupe, 
of  12  six-pounders,  18  swivels,  and  135  men,  called  the 
Invincible,  Joseph  Lizard,  commander,  on  board  of  whom  I 
was  ordered,  and  after  leaving  2.2  Frenchmen  in  the  vessel 
with  my  people,  they  steered  for  Guadaloupe.  At  daylight 
next  morning  we  were  close  in  with  Antigua,  and  at  eight 
o'clock  we  fell  in  with  the  Duke  of  Cumberland  privateer  brig, 
of  14  six-pounders,  20  swivels,  and  135  men,  Joseph  Thomas, 
commander,  belonging  to  this  island  ;  the  small  privateer 
perceiving  what  she  was,  and  being  ill  shattered,  they  made 
the  best  of  their  way  off.  Whilst  a  bloody  engagement  ensued 
between  the  large  sloop  and  English  brig,  they  ordered  me 
down  into  the  hold,  where  I  had  not  been  long  before  there 
were  company  enough;  some  without  legs,  and  others  wanting 
arms,  in  all  19  wounded,  the  number  killed  unknown  to  me, 
and  after  an  hour-and-half  engagement,  the  brig  left  the  sloop, 
and  run  up  for  our  snow,  received  a  few  shot,  the  brig  only 
firing  one  gun  loaded  with  langrell  (which  killed  two,  wounded 
three,  and  in  half-an-hour  after,  one  of  the  three  expired)  and 
immediately  struck.  My  poor  fellows  were  relieved  whilst  I 
was  carried  to  Guadaloupe.  During  my  whole  confinement  on 
board,  and  whilst  on  shore,  I  was  treated  much  better  j;han 
any  prisoner  could  expect,  and  they  kept  me  only  five  days 


126  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

before  I  was  sent  on  board  a  flag  of  truce,  with  17  commanders 
of  vessels,  and  upwards  of  100  sailors. 

"  They  have  taken  into  this  place  since  the  commencement 
of  the  war,  124  sail  of  English  vessels,  73  of  them  square 
rigged,  and  have  14  privateers  out  from  this  island,  mounting 
from  12  to  6  carriage  guns.  On  the  27th  ult. ,  I  arrived  at  this 
island,  and  on  the  8th,  the  admonition  days  being  expired, 
my  vessel  was  advertised  for  sale,  and  purchased  by  some 
gentlemen  here,  who  gave  me  the  command  of  her,  and  in 
three  days  I  loaded  her  with  rum,  for  Dublin,  in  order  to 
proceed  from  thence  to  Liverpool.  I  am  now  under  way 
with  a  convoy  of  four  of  his  Majesty's  ships,  and  upwards  of 
100  merchantmen,  having  the  same  ship's  company  I  brought 
out.  Capt.  Carruthers  of  the  Elisabeth  and  Mary,  belonging 
to  our  place,  and  Capt.  Dan.  Baines  of  the  Black  Prince,  of 
Whitehaven,  who  was  taken  by  the  French  men  of  war  on  the 
coast  of  Africa,  are  coming  passengers  home  with  me." 

The  following  letter  was  written  from  St.  Eustatia  on 
November  3oth,  1757,  by  Captain  Richard  Venables  of  the 
Ccesar  (Letter  of  Marque),  a  frigate  of  400  tons  burthen,  22 
guns  (twelve,  six,  and  four-pounders),  70  men,  bound  from 
Liverpool  to  Cork  and  Jamaica  : — 

"  I  am  at  last  got  safe  here,  and  find  that  within  these 
10  days,  the  Dutch  have  brought  in  14,000  barrels  of  beef  in 
their  own  vessels,  which  has  entirely  supplied  this  market. 
Our  vessel  behaved  extremely  well,  and  sails  fast.  We  had 
not  the  good  luck  to  meet  with  anything  but  neutral  bottoms 
till  we  got  within  20  leagues  of  Antigua  ;  about  daylight  fell 
in  with  a  sloop.  At  half-past  seven  she  began  to  fire  at  me  ; 
we  reserved  our  fire  till  we  came  near,  then  gave  him  our  bow 
chase  (twelve-pounders)  and  as  many  guns  as  we  could  bring  to 
bear  on  him.  He  fired  nine  shots  only,  hauled  his  wind  for 
about  an  hour,  and  then  bore  down  upon  us  again,  but  finding 
our  metal  heavy,  left  us.  Our  ship  being  deep  laden  could 
not  come  up  with  him.  He  mounted  14  guns,  and  carried  140 
men,  I  understand  by  a  Dutch  ship  arrived  since  we  came 


THE  SEVEN  YEARS'  WAR.  127 

here.  The  next  night  we  fell  in  with  a  second,  who  only  kept 
us  under  arms  all  night,  and  as  soon  as  daylight  appeared 
hauled  off.  Whilst  I  am  writing,  Mr.  Thomas  Eaton,  mate  of 
Capt.  Potter  of  the  Quester,  is  come  on  board  ;  they  were 
taken  last  Sunday,  about  20  leagues  to  the  eastward  of  St 
Bartholomew.  He  had  87  slaves  on  board,  whom  the 
privateer  took  out  of  the  Quester ;  and  as  they  could  not  get 
the  brig  to  windward,  they  bore  away  for  this  port.  The  mate, 
the  boatswain,  and  a  boy  came  with  her,  and  attempted  to  rise 
upon  the  five  Frenchmen,  but  were  overcome.  The  mate  is 
now  under  our  doctor's  care,  and  is  likely  to  do  well.  The 
Cavendish,  with  170  slaves,  is  carried  into  Guadaloupe.  The 
Pickering  and  two  other  Liverpool  snows  carried  into  the 
same  island.  I  can't  see  how  a  vessel  of  small  force  can  well 
escape,  the  privateers  are  so  numerous.  Capt.  Jones,  of 
Liverpool,  is  taken  on  the  coast  of  Guinea,  and  I  am  informed 
by  gentlemen  who  have  been  in  the  French  islands,  that  on 
some  days  10  or  12  English  ships  are  carried  in  there." 
The  owners  of  the  Ccesar,  Messrs.  Gregson  and  Bridge, 
also  owned  the  ship  Alexander  (Letter  of  Marque),  16  guns 
and  50  men,  commanded  by  Capt.  John  Ross. 

One  of  the  finest  privateers  belonging  to  this  period  was 
the  Liverpool,  22  guns  (18  of  them  twelve-pounders)  and 
200  men,  commanded  by  Captain  William  Hutchinson,  the 
companion  of  Fortunatus  Wright  in  some  of  his  cruises. 
The  privateer  was  fitted  out  by  Mr.  Henry  Hardwar,  and 
others,  including  the  captain.  Mr.  Hardwar,  who  at  one 
time  was  collector  of  customs  at  Liverpool,  had  the  good 
luck  to  win,  in  December,  1758,  a  prize  of  ^"1,000  in  the 
lottery.  In  1762  the  land  about  the  Everton  Beacon  was 
let  to  him  for  25.  6d.  per  annum,  and  he  afterwards  bought 
it  for  a  few  pounds. 

The  Liverpool  sailed  from  the  Mersey  on  June  loth,  1757, 
and  in  going  down  Formby  Channel  lost  one  landsman, 
who  was  drowned.  "  On  Saturday,  June  i8th,  1757," 
writes  Captain  Hutchinson  in  his  journal,  "in  lat.  48-0 


128  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

18  mins.  long.,  from  London,  made  a  sail  from  the  mast- 
head bearing  S.  from  us,  called  all  hands  to  quarters,  and 
gave  chase  with  all  sails  set.  At  8,  the  ship  hauled  up  her 
courses,  and  by  appearance  seemed  to  prepare  for  action. 
At  10,  they  threw  out  a  French  ensign  and  fired  a  gun. 
We  answered  them  only  with  French  colours,  but  they,  not 
trusting  us,  began  to  fire  their  stern  chase  pretty  briskly, 
upon  which  we  gave  them  two  of  our  bow  chase.  The  ship 
yawed  and  gave  us  her  larboard  broadside.  Several  of 
their  shot  went  through  our  sails,  and  one  of  the  crossbar 
shots  (a  six-pounder)  struck  the  fore  topmast  and  fell  upon 
our  deck.  We  immediately  gave  her  both  our  broadsides, 
upon  which  she  struck.  Sent  our  boats  on  board  the  prize 
for  the  prisoners.  On  examination  she  appears  to  be  the 
Grand  Marquis  de  Tournay,  Francis  Dellmar,  commander, 
from  St.  Domingo  for  Bordeaux  ;  is  pierced  for  24  guns 
(20  upon  the  upper  deck  and  4  upon  the  lower  deck),  but  has 
only  12  six-pounders  mounted.  She  came  out  of  St. 
Domingo  with  31  sail,  under  convoy  of  six  men-of-war, 
one  of  80  guns,  four  of  74  guns,  and  a  frigate  of  36  guns, 
who  saw  them  through  the  windward  passage  and  then  left 
them.  Found  on  board  the  prize,  Captain  John  Mackay, 
and  his  crew,  of  the  Sarah,  brig,  bound  from  Bristol  for 
Boston,  whom  they  had  taken  on  the  3rd  ult.  The  English 
prisoners  report  that  the  brig  was  retaken  on  the  i5th  by  two 
men-of-war,  and  that  the  Frenchmen  had  behaved  extremely 
civil  to  them." 

The  cargo  of  the  Le  Grand  Marquis  de  Tournay,  valued 
at  upwards  of  ^20,000,  as  advertised  to  be  sold  by  the 
candle  at  the  Bath  Coffee-house,  consisted  of  494  hogsheads, 
<3  tierces,  and  4  barrels  of  sugar  ;  19  butts,  35  hogsheads, 
30  tierces,  and  83  barrels  of  coffee  ;  2  butts,  7  hogsheads, 
24  tierces,  31  barrels,  and  4  ankers  of  indigo  ;  22  whole,  and 
117  half  hides  ;  and  8^  tons  of  logwood.  The  vessel,  also 
sold  by  auction,  was  described  as  "a  firm,  good  ship  of 


THE  SEVEN  YEARS'  WAR.  129 

about  450  tons  burthen,  pierced  for  22  guns,  prime  sailer 
and  very  fit  for  a  privateer  or  merchantman."  Referring  to 
this  capture,  the  Liverpool  paper  tells  us  that  "  all  the  officers 
and  the  whole  ship's  company  gave  Captain  Hutchinson 
the  best  of  characters,  both  as  to  conduct,  courage  and 
humanity.  He  would  not  permit  the  least  article  to  be  taken 
from  any  of  the  French  prisoners,  and  to  the  honour 
of  the  whole  crew,  each  man  behaved  well  in  his  station. 
Some  of  the  landsmen,  who  had  not  been  at  sea  before, 
could  scarcely  be  kept  within  bounds,  they  were  so  eager 
to  come  to  action.  Several  who  had  entered  themselves  for 
seamen,  on  trial  proved  to  be  incapable  of  their  duty,  and 
have  been  since  they  came  into  this  port  discharged." 

In  a  few  days  the  Liverpool  sailed  on  the  remainder  of 
her  cruise  fully  manned,  and  on  the  26th  July,  gave  chase 
to  a  sail  which  she  came  up  with  a  mile  from  Ushant.  The 
Frenchmen  on  board,  guessing  that  the  Liverpool  was 
an  English  cruiser,  escaped  from  their  vessel  in  the  long 
boat.  The  prize,  which  Captain  Hutchinson  took  possession 
of  without  firing  a  gun,  for  fear  of  alarming  the  fort,  proved 
to  be  the  Sampson,  200  tons  burthen,  from  Antigua  for 
Bristol,  laden  with  248  hogsheads,  25  tierces,  and  9  barrels 
of  sugar,  20  puncheons  of  rum,  and  33  bags  of  ginger.  She 
had  been  taken  six  days  before  by  a  French  privateer.  "  The 
people  arrived  here  in  the  Sampson"  says  the  Advertiser, 
"  give  the  ship  Liverpool  a.  very  great  character,  and  say  that 
she  sails  remarkable  fast.  They  fell  in  with  six  sail  of 
French  men-of-war  and  wronged  them,  and  had  not  seen 
any  vessel  but  they  could  either  leave  or  speak  with.  All 
hands  were  well  and  in  great  spirits." 

Having  despatched  the  Sampson  to  Liverpool,  Captain 
Hutchinson  went  in  futile  quest  of  a  large  French  merchant- 
man, of  whom  a  vessel  had  given  him  intelligence,  and 
meeting  with  a  ly-gun  French  privateer,  chased  her  on  shore 
on  the  coast  of  France.  He  also  destroyed  a  fishing  schooner, 


130  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

after  stripping  her  and  taking  off  the  crew  prisoners. 
Falling  in  about  this  time  with  the  Fame  privateer,  of  10 
guns  and  70  men,  belonging  to  Guernsey,  the  two  privateers 
made  an  agreement  to  cruise  in  consort,  to  share  what  they 
should  capture  in  proportion  to  their  guns  and  men,  until 
they  arrived  at  Kinsale,  the  place  of  rendezvous.  The 
Guernsey  captain  being  "extremely  well  acquainted  with 
the  French  coast,"  a  pretty  little  scheme  was  arranged 
between  him  and  Hutchinson.  They  cruised  close  in  shore, 
for  the  purpose  of  entering  Bordeaux  river  and  cutting  out 
some  of  the  ships  in  that  harbour,  the  little  Guernsey  man 
appearing  as  a  French  privateer,  with  a  prize — the  Liver- 
pool— in  company,  but  as  soon  as  they  got  into  twenty  fathom 
water,  they  fell  in  with  the  ship  Turbot,  and  a  brig  and  a 
snow  in  company  with  her,  all  of  which  they  captured,  the 
Guernsey  privateer  convoying  the  three  prizes  to  Kinsale, 
while  the  Liverpool  gave  chase  to  three  other  vessels  in 
sight.  The  Turbot  was  described  as  a  ship  of  about  200 
tons  burthen,  laden  with  500  barrels  of  flour,  400  barrels  of 
wine,  200  barrels  pork,  100  barrels  beef,  100  ankers  brandy, 
4,000  gold  and  silver  laced  hats,  3,000  pairs  shoes,  slops,  &c.* 
One  of  the  three  prizes,  the  brig  La  Muette,  laden  with  bale 
goods,  small  arms,  wines,  stores,  etc.,  was  entirely  lost  in 
St.  Bride's  Bay,  near  Milford  Haven,  where  the  natives 
plundered  all  that  was  saved  of  the  cargo.  Another  of  the 
prizes,  the  brig  Six  Brothers,  about  100  tons  burthen, 
arrived  safe  in  Liverpool,  and  was  sold  by  auction  with  all 
her  cargof  at  the  Merchants'  Coffee-house, 

*  When  the  Turbot  was  advertised  to  be  sold  by  auction  with  all  her  materials 
and  cargo,  her  burthen  was  given,  as  about  220  tons,  and  her  cargo  as  consisting  of 
no  tuns  of  red  and  white  wine,  7  cases  of  sweet  wines,  15  tuns,  2  ankers  and  20 
casks  of  brandy,  2  casks  of  loaf  sugar,  138  cases  of  soap  (quantity  about  50  pound 
weight  each),  4  barrels  of  prunes  (quantity  about  684  pounds  weight),  28  casks  of 
vinegar,  6  tons  of  bay  salt,  200  barrels  and  34  ankers  of  pork,  104  cases  of  sweet 
oil,  37  cheeses,  21  casks  of  shoes,  2  bales  of  coarse  jackets,  10  bales  of  coarse  cloth 
containing  30  pieces  each,  I  bale  containing  9  quilts,  50  cases  of  drams,  4  barrels 
of  artichokes,  34  barrels  of  lice,  150  casks  of  flour. 

t  The  cargo  was  described  as  follows  :  57  tuns  of  red  and  white  wine,  250  barrels 
of  flour,  73  casks  of  pork,  loo  cases  quantity  about  40  Ibs.  of  soap  each,  120 


THE  SEVEN  YEARS'   WAR.  131 

The  Liverpool  arrived  in  the  Mersey  from  her  cruise  on 
the  24th  of  November,  1757.  The  following  is  an  extract 
from  Captain  Hutchinson's  journal  : — 

"On  September  nth,  left  Kinsale  ;  little  occurred,  only 
speaking-  neutral  bottoms  and  English  privateers,  till  Thurs- 
day, October  7th,  gave  chase  to  a  snow  ;  little  winds  and 
calm,  obliged  to  ply  our  oars;  spoke  a  Spaniard,  who  informed 
us  that  the  chase  was  a  privateer  that  had  only  been  13  days 
from  Dunkirk,  and  had  met  with  no  success.  We  continued 
the  chase  till  Wednesday,  the  2nd  inst. ,  and  then  saw  several 
sail,  particularly  two  vessels  engage  ;  from  the  inequality  of 
the  fire,  we  judged  the  larger  to  be  a  French  ship  privateer, 
and  the  other  a  Bristol  snow,  whom  the  Duke  of  Cornwall 
privateer  had  that  day  told  us  of.  Night  coming  on,  about 
three  quarters  past  seven,  in  lat.  47,  long.  12.30,  came  up  with 
the  ship,  standing  and  stemming  for  her  quarter,  and  hailed 
him  in  French  by  mistake.  Without  answering  he  made  us 
feel  the  weight  of  his  broadside,  and  carried  away  our  fore- 
top-gallant  mast,  part  of  the  head  of  our  foremast,  fired  a  shot 
through  the  middle  of  our  main-mast,  carried  away  our  lower 
steering  sail  boom  and  fore  chain  plate,  three  of  our  lower 
shrouds  and  bobstay,  and  gave  us  a  shot  which  went  through 
our  bends  near  the  water's  edge.  He  ill  damaged  our  sails 
and  running  rigging,  and  wounded  28  of  our  men.  We  soon 
found  our  mistake,  the  vessel  proving  to  be  his  Majesty's  ship 
the  Antelope,  in  company  with  her  prize,  a  French  privateer, 
taken  in  sight  of  us.  We  lay  by  all  night  repairing  our  rig- 
ging, &c. ,  and  a  fleet  in  the  morning  appearing  in  sight, 
immediately  crowded  after,  and  soon  found  them  to  be 
Sir  Edward  Hawke  and  Admiral  Boscawen's  fleet,  14  in 

firkins  ot  butter,  100  cases  of  candles,  each  about  30  Ibs.  weight,  200  cases  of 
sweet  oyl,  100  Dutch  cheeses,  and  2  casks  of  cheese,  1.500  Ibs.  weight  of  nails, 
2  casks  of  twine,  10  anchors  of  lamp  oyl,  5  chests  containing  loo  fuzees,  5  chests 
containing  bayonets  for  fuzees  and  other  hardware,  2  casks  of  shoes,  50  bundles  of 
woodhoops,  6  pairs  of  boots,  2  bales  of  light  canvas,  and  i  bale  of  shirts  for  negroes. 
The  flour  was  stored  at  Mr.  Trafi  >rd's  warehouse  in  Trafford's  Weint ;  the  pork 
and  butter  at  Mr.  Earle's  cellar  in  Strand  street,  and  the  soap,  candles,  and  cheese 
at  Mr  Earle's  warehouse  in  Hanover  Street.  The  Traffords  have  long  since 
vanished  from  Liverpool  life,  but  the  Earles  still  assist  in  making  history  at  home 
and  abroad. 


132  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

number.  The  Royal  William  brought  us  to,  and  we  kept 
them  company.  On  Thursday,  the  loth,  nine  more  sail  of 
men-of-war  joined  us,  in  the  whole  23,  but  several  of  the  ships 
parted  company,  owing-  to  thick,  hazy  weather.  We  continued 
with  them  till  Monday,  the  2ist,  being-  then  in  lat.  47,  long-it. 
12.30.  Were  obliged  to  leave  the  fleet,  consisting  of  18  sail, 
on  account  of  a  fever  and  flux  raging  amongst  our  ship's 
company,  owing,  it  is  presumed,  to  the  unlucky  accident  of 
wounding  our  men.  We  buried  six,  and  had  103  sick  when 
we  left  the  fleet,  having  not  quite  finished  our  cruise." 

"On  Wednesday,  "says  the  Advertiser,  "were  committed 
to  the  waves,  universally  lamented,  the  remains  of  Mr.  James 
Holt,*  a  young  volunteer  on  board  the  Liverpool  privateer, 
whose  personal  merit  and  bravery  gained  him  the  general 
respect  of  the  commander,  officers  and  whole  crew.  He 
was  son  to  an  eminent  manufacturer  in  Rochdale, 
Lancashire." 

The  Liverpool  having  been  new  masted  and  completely 
fitted  for  another  cruise,  was  ready  for  sea  at  the  end  of 
January,  1758,  but  we  do  not  learn  anything  more  of  her 
movements  until  April  3Oth,  when  she  sailed  into  the  Mole 
of  Leghorn  with  three  prizes — the  tartan  St.  Lewis,  laden 
with  hemp,  sugar,  marble,  copper,  etc.,  the  tartan  Jesus, 
Mary  and  Joseph,  laden  with  corn  and  linen  rags,  and  the 
tartan  Joseph,  Mary  and  Joseph,  with  timber  for  the  King's 
yard,  all  from  Marseilles  for  Toulon.  These  vessels  formed 

*  The  Holts  are  numerous  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Rochdale,  and  claim  to  be 
off-shoots  of  the  Holts  of  Grizlehurst.  One  of  Liverpool's  merchant  princes,  Mr. 
George  Holt,  the  founder  of  the  firm  of  George  Holt  &  Co.,  cotton  brokers,  India 
Buildings,  Liverpool,  was  born  on  Midsummer  Day,  1790,  at  Town  Mill,  Rochdale. 
The  event  took  place  at  six  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  an  old  servant  remarked — 
knowing  well  the  characteristics  of  the  family — that  he  had  "just  been  born  in 
time  to  begin  a  day's  work."  At  the  age  of  17,  and  with  a  guinea,  the  parting  gift 
of  his  father,  in  his  pocket,  he  came  to  Liverpool  as  an  apprentice  to  Mr.  Samuel 
Hope,  a  cotton  broker.  In  order  to  eke  out  his  slender  resources  during  the  years 
of  apprenticeship  he  carried  on  upon  his  own  account  a  small  business  in  coarse 
canvas  for  mending  cotton  bags.  At  the  age  of  22,  when  his  apprenticeship  expired, 
he  was  offered  a  partnership  by  his  employer,  and  this  he  accepted.  He  ma-ried 
Miss  Emma  Burning,  eldest  daughter  of  Mr.  Robert  Burning,  in  1822,  and  became 
a  "numerous  father."  His  career  was  marked  by  unusual  versatility  and  energy, 
and  of  such  are  the  makers  of  great  seaports  and  large  cities. 


THE  SEVEN  YEARS'  WAR.  133 

part  of  a  small  fleet  of  coasting  craft  which  Captain 
Hutchinson  had  fallen  in  with,  and  had  not  M.  de  la  Clue 
in  his  return  to  Toulon  appeared  in  sight,  the  Liverpool 
probably  would  have  taken  the  whole  fleet.  Captain 
Hutchinson's  plan  was  to  capture  a  fishing  boat,  which  he 
sent  close  in  shore  to  cut  the  enemy  off  from  the  land.  He 
had  taken  a  fourth  vessel,  but  being  a  heavy  sailer  he  was 
obliged  to  let  her  go  as  soon  as  de  la  Clue's  squadron 
appeared.  He  had  a  narrow  escape  from  a  French  fleet  off 
the  coast  of  Portugal,  and  was  actually  reported  in  Lloyd's 
List  as  taken  and  carried  to  Toulon.  The  captured  vessel, 
however,  proved  to  be  the  Enterprise,  of  Bristol,  Captain 
Lewis.  The  safety  and  continued  activity  of  the  Liverpool, 
was  demonstrated  by  her  sending  into  Cagliari  a  French 
privateer  of  24  guns  and  200  men,  which  was  said  to  be 
"worth  50,000  dollars,  exclusive  of  head  and  gun  money 
as  a  privateer."  On  the  23rd  of  August,  the  Liverpool 
arrived  in  the  Mersey,  bringing  in  with  her  the  ship  Roy 
Gaspard,*  a  French  privateer  of  22  guns,  burthen  about 
350  tons,  bound  from  Messina  to  Marseilles,  which  she 
had  taken  and  carried  to  Gibraltar.  The  Liverpool  had 
previously  sent  home  two  Dutch  vessels  named  the  Sarah 
and  Margaretta  and  the  Jong  Barbara,  laden  with  sugar, 
coffee  and  indigo,  which  she  had  taken  on  their  passage 
from  St.  Eustatia. 

Captain  Hutchinson,  being  greatly  interested  in  his 
scheme  for  supplying  the  town  with  live  fish,  relinquished 
the  command  of  the  Liverpool  to  his  first  lieutenant  and 


*  The  Roy  Gaspard  was  sold  by  auction  at  the  Merchants'  Coffee-house,  a 
tavern  at  the  south-west  corner  of  St.  Nicholas's  Churchyard,  wiih  a  doorway 
opening  upon  the  churchyard.  It  was  erected  about  the  middle  of  the  eighteenth 
century,  and  was  for  many  years  the  favourite  resort  of  the  commercial  community. 
The  large  room  entering  from  the  churchyard  commanded  a  fine  view  of  the  river. 
Here,  during  the  latter  half  of  the  eighteenth  century  were  held  the  principal 
auction  sales  of  ships  and  property.  It  was  the  boisterous  conduct  of  the  sea 
captains  at  this  tavern  that  led  to  the  erection  of  the  Athenaeum  in  Church  Street,  a 
haven  in  which  Mr.  Roscoe,  Dr.  Currie,  and  other  men  of  literary  tastes  could 
rest  undisturbed  by  slave  captains  and  privateer  commanders. 


134  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

relation,  Captain  Ward,  and  on  September  ist,  the  following- 
advertisement  appeared  in  the  newspapers  : — 

"  For  a  third  cruise  against  the  Enemies  of  Great  Britain, 
the  fortunate  ship  Liverpool  privateer,  under  the  command  of 
Capt.  John  Ward,  and  will  be  ready  for  sea  as  soon  as  she 
comes  out  of  the  Graving-  Dock.  She  carries  22  guns  (18  of 
which  are  twelve-pounders),  and  160  men.  All  gentlemen 
Seamen  and  others  who  are  willing  to  try  their  fortunes,  may 
apply  to  the  Commander,  or  Mr.  Henry  Hardware,  Merchant." 

Either  the  change  of  commanders,  or  some  mysterious 
underhand  work,  raised  difficulties,  which  led  to  the  inser- 
tion of  the  following  notice  in  the  Advertiser  of  September 
I5th:- 

"  Whereas  the  seamen  who  have  entered  to  go  the  cruise 
in  the  ship  Liverpool  privateer,  agreed  and  were  warned  by 
the  public  cryer  to  go  on  board  the  said  ship  on  Monday 
Evening,  and  are  not  yet  gone  on  board  ;  This  is  to  give 
Notice  that  the  gentlemen  who  had  subscribed  for  the  outset  of 
the  said  ship,  to  send  her  in  quest  of  the  Marshal  Belleisle, 
think  it  now  too  late  ;  therefore,  all  seamen  who  are  inclined 
to  go  the  six  months'  cruise,  as  was  at  first  intended,  may  apply 
to  Capt.  Ward,  near  the  Old  Dock  Gates." 

The  editor,  commenting  on  the  above  in  the  same  issue 
of  the  paper,  says  : — 

"On  Saturday  last,  Capt.  Wm.  Hutchinson,  late  com- 
mander (and  part-owner)  of  the  Liverpool  privateer  (notwith- 
standing he  had  appointed  his  lieutenant  to  the  command  of  the 
ship,  intending  to  stay  at  home  in  order  to  forward  his  scheme 
of  supplying  this  market  with  live  fish),  proposed  to  undertake 
the  command  of  her  once  more,  and  attempt  to  curb  the 
insolence  of  Monsieur  Thurot,  of  the  Marshal  Belleisle  priva- 
teer, cruising  in  the  North  Channel,  to  intercept  the  trade  of  this 
neighbourhood.  Upon  which  the  principal  Merchants  gener- 
ously opened  a  subscription,  to  indemnify  the  owners  of  the 
privateer,  and  to  advance  each  seaman  five  guineas  in  hand,  for 
one  month's  (31  days)  cruise,  exclusive  of  their  right  to  the 


THE  SEVEN  YEARS'  WAR.  135 

customary  shares  of  prize  money.  Notwithstanding1  207  sea- 
men had  signed  the  articles,  yet  as  soon  as  the  ship  was  ready 
for  sea,  on  Tuesday,  only  28  appeared,  which  obliged  the  sub- 
scribers to  drop  the  cruise,  knowing  that  unless  she  got  out 
immediately,  it  would  be  impossible  to  execute  the  proposed 
expedition  in  time.  We  can't  avoid  remarking  that  the  intended 
scheme  was  the  most  generous  one  ever  offered  in  these  parts, 
and  that  probably  no  seamen  ever  had  before  such  great 
encouragement  offered  them  for  so  short  a  cruise.  Whoever 
were  the  obstacles  in  preventing  the  scheme  being  put  into 
execution,  will  always  be  deemed  enemies  to  the  trade  of  this 
port,  especially  when  the  public  are  acquainted  that  upwards  of 
700  pounds  was  generously  subscribed  to  the  outset,  exclusive 
of  insuring  the  value  of  the  vessel  to  the  owners,  and  the  gen- 
tlemen had  undertaken  to  procure  several  hundred  pounds 
more  from  their  neighbouring  friends." 

The  Liverpool  sailed  on  another  cruise  on  Sunday, 
October  i5th,  1758,  and  in  the  following  January  arrived  at 
Falmouth,  having  captured  some  Dutch  ships  and  sent 
them  to  Ireland.  On  March  ist,  she  arrived  in  the  Mersey, 
though  her  cruise  was  not  fully  expired,  and  on  April  i2th, 
1759,  she  was  sold  by  auction  at  the  Merchants'  Coffee- 
house, having  in  her  capacity  as  a  privateer  proved  herself 
worthy  of  the  name  she  bore.* 

In  February,  1759,  Captain  Hutchinson  was  appointed  by 
the  magistrates  and  common  council,  principal  water  bailiff, 
and  dockmaster  of  Liverpool,  a  position  he  held  for  about 
forty  years.  About  three  months  later,  a  man  named 
Murphy,  one  of  the  New  Anson  privateersmen,  presented  a 

loaded  pistol  at  Captain  Hutchinson,  saying,  "  D you, 

you  are  a  villain,"  an  act  and  sentiment  which  the  captain 
promptly  reciprocated  by  seizing  the  man  by  the  collar  and 

*In  the  paper  of  Sept.  a8th,  she  is  advertised  in  a  new  character: — "For 
New  York,  and  will  be  clear  to  sail  in  three  weeks,  the  ship  Liverpool,  burthen 
250  tons,  a  remarkable  fast  sailing  vessel,  with  good  accommodations  for 
passengers.  For  freight,  redemptioners,  indented  servants,  or  passengers,  apply 
to  Messrs.  Tratiord  &  Bird,  Merchants,  or  James  Chambers,  Commander." 


136  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

wrenching  the  pistol — which  luckily  missed  fire — from  his 
grasp.  Mr.  Murphy  was  secured,  tried  at  Lancaster,  and 
sentenced  to  serve  in  the  navy  for  life. 

Captain  William  Hutchinson  was  a  remarkable  man.  His 
work  on  seamanship  and  naval  architecture,  and  the  variety 
of  pursuits  in  which  he  was  engaged  during  a  long  and  busy 
life,  his  charities  and  his  hobbies,  all  go  to  prove  that  he  was 
of  a  higher  type  than  the  generality  of  men  in  his  calling  at 
that  period.  Judging  by  Sir  Horace  Mann's  description  of 
certain  English  admirals  and  sea  captains  with  whom  he  had 
dealings  in  his  official  capacity  as  English  Resident  at 
Florence,  the  two  Liverpool  privateer  commanders, 
Fortunatus  Wright  and  William  Hutchinson,  compare  very 
favourably  in  education,  intelligence,  professional  skill  and 
daring,  with  many  officers  of  rank  in  the  King's  navy.  Mr. 
Bryan  Blundell,  who  was  well  acquainted  with  Hutchinson, 
said  "that  his  whole  life  was  one  unwearied  scene  of 
industrious  usefulness,"  and  this  is  confirmed  by  the  closing 
words  of  the  preface  to  the  "  Practical  Seaman,"*  where  the 
author  says,  ''as  my  best  endeavours  have  hitherto  been 
exerted  for  the  public  good,  without  any  other  motive,  so 
will  they  be  continued  by  the  public's  humble  servant, 
William  Hutchinson."  In  the  same  preface  he  refers  to  the 
unexpected  difficulties  he  found  "  in  being  a  new  writer, 
venturing  to  lead  the  way  on  so  important  and  extensive  a 
subject  in  this  learned,  criticising  age  ;  "  but,  he  says, 
"for  my  imperfections  as  a  scholar,  I  hope  the  critics 
will  make  allowance  for  my  having  been  early  in  life  at  sea 
as  cook  of  a  small  collier  ;  and  having  since  then  gone 
through  all  the  most  active  enterprising  employments  I 
could  meet  with  as  a  seaman,  who  has  done  his  best,  and 

"  Principal  Dock  Master  of  Liverpool,  Captain  William  Hutchinson  at  No.  I. 
on  the  north  side  of  the  Old  Dock  Gates.  One  whose  great  knowledge  and 
ingenuity  has  proved  of  infinite  service  to  this  port,  and  to  whom  the  British  mariner 
stands  indebted  for  a  learned  and  curious  Treatise  on  Practical  Seamanship,  &c." 
— Prestwich's  MS.  History  of  Liverpool,  p.  239. 


THE  SEVEN  YEARS'  WAR.  137 

who,  as  an  author,  would  be  glad  of  any  remarks  candidly 
pointing  out  how  to  improve  his  defects,  if  there  should  be 
a  demand  for  another  edition."  As  a  native  of  Newcastle- 
on-Tyne,  he  was  naturally  proud  of  the  seamanship  of  those 
among  whom  his  early  life  had  been  passed,  and  mentions 
that  "  the  best  lessons  for  tacking  and  working  to  windward, 
in  a  little  room,  are  in  the  colliers  bound  to  London,  where 
many  great  ships  are  constantly  employed,  and  where 
wages  are  paid  by  the  voyage,  so  that  interest  makes  them 
dexterous  and  industrious  to  manage  their  ships  with  few 
men  in  a  complete  manner  in  narrow  channels,  more  so 
than,  perhaps,  in  any  other  trade  by  sea  in  the  world."  He 
tells  us  that  the  sight  of  a  fleet  of  200  or  300  colliers 
sailing  out  of  the  harbour  of  Newcastle  for  London  in 
one  tide,  and  their  dexterous  navigation  in  passing  and 
crossing  each  other  in  so  little  room,  made  a  "travelling 
French  gentleman  of  rank  to  hold  up  his  hands  and 
exclaim,  that  it  was  there  France  was  conquered."  While 
expressing  his  belief,  based  on  long  experience  in  different 
trades,  that  the  seamen  engaged  in  the  coal  and  coasting 
trade  to  London,  "are  the  most  perfect  in  working  their 
ships  in  narrow,  intricate  and  difficult  channels,  and  in  tide 
ways,"  he  admits  that  "those  in  the  East  India  trade  are 
so  on  the  open  seas."  He  believed  that  the  custom  of 
heaving  the  hand-lead  and  singing  out  the  soundings, 
"which  is  peculiar  to  our  seamen,"  originated  in  the 
coasting  trade  to  London,  where  their  success  and  safety 
depended  greatly  upon  it,  and  quotes  a  saying  attributed 
to  Dr.  Halley,  that  the  system  of  navigation  in  his  time 
depended  upon  three  L's,  meaning,  Lead,  Latitude  and 
Look-out.  There  was  some  kind  of  Ship  Club  in  Liverpool 
in  his  time,  for  he  says  : — 

"  A  late  great  mathematician  at  Liverpool,  Mr.  Richard 
Holden,  who  found  Theory  from  the  Attractive  Powers  of 
Nature  to  agree  with  my  observations  on  the  tides,  and  made 


138  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS, 

a  most  excellent  tide  table  from  them,  used  often  to  say,  at 
what  we  called  a  Ship  Club,  that  there  was  no  hidden  or 
unknown  principle  concerned  in  the  art  of  building',  sailing-, 
working-,  and  managing  of  ships,  but  the  laws  of  motion,  the 
pressure  of  fluids,  and  the  properties  of  the  lever,  which  are 
all  well  known  to  British  Philosophers,  and  that  nothing  was 
more  deserving  their  attention  and  pursuit,  in  order  to  bring 
these  arts  to  their  utmost  perfection." 

It  is  much  to  be  regretted  that  Captain  Hutchinson  did 
not  write  a  regular  narrative  of  his  own  adventurous  and 
useful  life.  It  is  only  by  stray  paragraphs  scattered  through 
his  voluminous  printed  work  to  illustrate  various  points  in 
the  argument,  that  we  are  able  to  form  an  imperfect  sketch 
of  his  career,  as  a  supplement  to  what  has  gone  before. 
Having  risen  from  the  position  of  cook's  cabin  boy  and 
beer  drawer  for  the  men  in  a  small  collier,  to  the  dignity 
of  a  forecastle  man,  he  made  his  first  voyage  to  Madras 
and  China  in  1738,  "  when  our  East  India  ships  had  open 
waists."  "  Not  having  water  to  go  over  the  Flatts  in  turn- 
ing to  windward  down  the  Swin,  the  common  track  for  our 
deep-loaded  colliers,  our  vessel,"  he  says,  "shipped  and 
leaked  so  much  water,  that  it  took  all  the  pumps  to  keep 
her  free,  so  that  when  we  got  into  the  Downs,  the  crew 
protested  against  going  the  voyage,  without  her  being 
lightened,  but  a  5o-gun  ship  of  war  being  near,  a  signal 
was  made,  and  they  came  and  took  the  principal  ring- 
leaders out,  and  we  proceeded  on  the  voyage."  There  was 
no  Mr.  Plimsoll  to  fight  for  poor  Jack's  rights  in  those 
days,  and,  indeed,  had  he  miraculously  turned  up,  they 
would  have  bundled  him  on  board  a  tender  and  made  an 
excellent  man-of-war's  man  of  him,  as  no  doubt  they  did 
of  every  "  collier  "  they  impressed.  On  this  voyage  to 
the  East  Indies  he  was  three  months  terribly  ill  of  the 
scurvy,  and  found  himself  benefited  by  the  use  of  tea,  a 
habit  confirmed  by  what  he  saw  of  the  Chinese  style  of 


THE  SEVEN  YEARS'   WAR.  139 

living  at  Canton,  and  for  the  rest  of  his  life  he,  like  Dr. 
Johnson,  became  a  confirmed  lover  of  tea.  The  doctor 
is  said  to  have  taken  forty  cups  a  day,  hence,  probably, 
his  morbid  fear  of  death  ;  but  Hutchinson  only  took  tea 
twice  a  day,  and  his  method  of  making  it  on  board  ship, 
where  there  were  no  tea  utensils,  was  by  putting  the  leaves 
into  a  quart  bottle  filled  with  fresh  water,  corked  up,  and 
boiled  in  the  ship's  kettle  along  with  the  salt  beef.  This 
mode  of  brewing  was  a  great  success,  especially  in  stormy 
weather,  when  teapots,  cups  and  saucers  and  such  like 
could  not  have  kept  their  sea-legs. 

He  acted  as  mate  of  a  bomb's  tender  in  Hieres  Bay  with 
the  fleet  under  Matthews  and  Lestock,  and  shortly  after 
sailed  in  "a  fine  frigate-built  ship  for  the  Leghorn  trade, 
that  carried  20  six-pounders  on  her  main-deck,  and  went  a- 
cruising  in  the  Mediterranean."  It  was  probably  at  this  time 
he  made  the  acquaintance  of  Fortunatus  Wright.  The  fol- 
lowing incident  may  have  occurred  on  board  Wright's  ship, 
when  Hutchinson,  as  Professor  Laughton  suggests,  was 
officer  of  the  watch,  or  he  may  have  been  in  independent 
command.  He  was  at  any  rate  cruising  in  the  Mediter- 
ranean during  the  war  of  1747,  with  the  prisoners  of  three 
French  prizes  on  board,  at  their  entire  liberty  on  deck.  He 
had  just  sent  nearly  all  his  own  men  aloft,  to  execute  an 
order,  when  he  providentially  noticed  one  of  the  French 
captains  about  to  give  the  alarm  for  the  Frenchmen  to  rise 
and  take  the  ship.  Hutchinson  immediately  ran  up  to  the 
Frenchman,  pistol  in  hand,  "and  told  him  coolly  that  he 
should  be  the  first  that  should  die  by  the  attempt,  which 
stopped  his  proceeding."  This  affair  taught  him  two 
lessons — that  prisoners  for  the  future  should  be  sent  up 
aloft  to  assist  in  the  work  ;  and  that  ceremonious  professions 
are  not  to  be  depended  on,  for  the  French  captain  in 
question,  when  first  brought  on  board,  was  the  pink  of 
politeness.  He  "  made  many  apologies  and  begged  that  he 


140  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

might  not  be  ill-treated  for  the  resistance  he  made  in 
defending  his  ship,  and  was  answered  that  he  should  be 
treated  rather  better  than  worse  for  doing  his  duty  like  a 
brave  and  honest  man." 

In  1750,  he  was  concerned  with  "that  worthy  hero, 
Captain  Fortunatus  Wright,"  in  purchasing  and  fitting  out 
the  Leostoff,  20  gun  frigate  of  war,  with  lighter  guns  and 
materials  than  she  formerly  carried,  and  loaded  her  with  a 
general  cargo  for  the  West  Indies.  During  one  of  his 
voyages,  he  slept  on  the  bare  ground  in  the  Bay  of  Honduras, 
fell  very  ill  of  the  flux,  and  was  suddenly  cured  in  a  more 
surprising  and  original  manner  than  if  he  had  taken  a 
modern  patent  universal  healer.  He  was  then  acting  as 
commodore  of  a  fleet  of  ships  in  the  Bay,  and  being  told 
that  some  strange  vessels  were  entering  without  first  send- 
ing in  their  boats,  as  usual,  to  make  known  who  they  were, 
he  gave  orders  to  fire  at  them.  As  the  ships  still  came  on, 
heedless  of  the  warning,  he  got  alarmed,  was  roused  to  action, 
and  immediately  recovered. 

Captain  Hutchinson,  in  conjunction  with  his  partner, 
Mr.  Ward,  made  a  plucky  endeavour  to  perform  for 
Liverpool,  in  1757,  the  service  which  Frank  Buckland 
rendered  London  in  the  nineteenth  century.  In  the  paper 
of  June  loth,  of  that  year,  we  read  that  Messrs.  Hutchinson 
and  Ward  had  fixed  a  large  store-well-vessel  in  the  river, 
near  the  Woodside-house,  in  which  they  fed  their  fish  as 
the  codsmacks  brought  them  in,  and  for  the  conveniency 
of  the  Cheshire  markets  they  sold  fish  on  board.  The 
enterprise  was  not  successful,  and  probably  swallowed  up 
some  of  the  money  made  by  the  Captain  in  privateering 
and  other  "active  enterprising  employments,"  as  well  as  a 
subsidy  granted  by  the  corporation  in  aid  of  the  scheme. 
The  curious  reason  given  in  the  paper  of  February  i5th, 
1760,  for  disposing  of  the  Resolution,  a  codsmack  employed 
in  the  industry,  is  "the  prejudice  that  prevails  here  against 


THE  SEVEN  YEARS'  WAR.  141 

fish  brought  in  smacks,  though  the  best  in  kind,  by  which 
its  consumption  is  so  hindered  that  the  proprietors  cannot 
with  prudence  support  the  vessel  longer,  though  they  have 
had  handsome  allowance  from  the  Corporation  for  the 
support  thereof." 

His  zeal  for  the  interests  of  Liverpool  was  conspicuous 
on  many  occasions,  and  could  not  have  been  greater,  had 
he  been  born  within  sound  of  St.  Nicholas'  bells,  and 
entitled  to  call  himself  "a  genuine  Dicky  Sam."  When 
Thurot  and  his  squadron  entered  the  Irish  Sea,  and  threw 
Liverpool  into  a  state  of  wild  excitement,  Captain  Hutchin- 
son's  daring  spirit  was  shown.  With  one  associate  only, 
he  raised  a  number  of  volunteers  to  man  a  few  armed 
vessels  then  in  the  river,  with  which  he  determined  to 
attack  and  conquer  the  enemy,  or  perish  in  the  attempt. 
The  news  of  the  gallant  Frenchman's  defeat  and  death 
arrived,  and  rendered  the  enterprise  unnecessary. 

He  was  the  inventor  of  reflecting  mirrors  for  light- 
houses, and,  in  1763,  he  erected  at  Bidston  the  first  mirror 
of  that  kind  ever  used,  consisting  of  small  reflectors  of 
tinned  plates,  soldered  together;  and  he  also  made  larger 
ones,  as  far  as  12  feet  diameter,  formed  of  wood  and 
lined  with  numerous  plates  of  looking-glass.  A  ridge  of 
rock  and  gravel,  lying  between  the  Rock  Perch  and  the 
south  point  of  the  Brazile  sandbank,  was  named  after 
him,  because  he  removed  some  obstructions  which  had 
been  placed  there  by  "designing  villains,"  and  opened  a 
passage  by  cutting  away  the  rock  and  deepening  the 
channel. 

From  the  ist  of  January,  1768,  to  the  i8th  of  August, 
1793,  Capt.  Hutchinson  continued  a  series  of  observations 
on  the  tides,  barometer,  the  weather,  and  the  winds,  the 
MSS.  of  which  he  presented  to  the  Liverpool  Library. 
From  these  were  obtained  the  data  by  which  the  Holdens, 
father  and  son,  calculated  the  tide-tables. 


142 


THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 


On  a  blank  leaf,  at  the  commencement,  the  following 
memoranda  are  written  in  his  own  hand  : — 

"These  five  years'  observations  from  1768  to  1773,  upon 
the  tide  were  made  from  solar  time,  and  the  winds  from  the 
true  meridian,  and  their  velocity  judged  according"  to  Mr. 
Smeaton's  rule,  our  great  storms  going  at  the  rate  of  sixty 
miles  an  hour.  The  thermometer,  kept  indoors,  at  the  head 
of  a  staircase,  four  stories  high,  by  Wm.  Hutchinson,  at  the 
Old  Dock  Gates,  Liverpool.  The  first  sheets  were  cut  out  to 
give  Mr.  Richard  Holden,  and  aided  him  to  make  out  the  3000 
observations  mentioned  in  his  preface  of  his  Tide  Table, 
by  which  he  founded  a  theory,  from  natural  causes,  to  agree 
therewith." 

It  is  to  be  regretted  that  Mr.  Hutchinson  did  not  suffer 
copies  to  be  taken  rather  than  break  such  an  uniform  series 
of  observations,  made  with  a  punctuality  and  accuracy  that 
do  infinite  credit  to  his  perseverance  and  talent.  They 
form  most  invaluable  documents  for  reference  and  com- 
parison. 

His  meteorological  tables  were  kept  in  the  following 
manner : — 

MORNING. 


1768 

M's    Moon's 

Moon's 

Moon's 

Time  of 

Height 

Winds, 

Weather. 

January 

age 

dis- 

declin. 

South 

High 

Ft.  in. 

their 

Hazy  and 

I  Friday 

11 

tance  in 

N. 

E. 

Water 

14    3 

velocity 

a  hard 

miles 

25  29 

9  59 

II.   M. 

in  miles 

frost 

284,384 

8  45 

I  -60 

S.E.  35 

EVENING. 


Time  of 

Hei»ht 

Winds 

Weather. 

Tide's 

Barom. 

Then 

nigh 

Ft.  in. 

and 

Cloudy  and  a 

daily 

29.2 

34 

Water 

14     2 

velocity 

keen  frost. 

difference. 

H.      M. 

E.  30 

One  tide 

9     IO 

M. 

55 

In  May,  1775,  he  added  to  these  a  rain  gauge. 


THE  SEVEN  YEARS'  WAR.  143 

On  the  4th  of  June,  1777,  it  was  resolved:  "That  the 
Corporation  do  make  a  compliment  of  Ten  Guineas  to 
Captain  William  Hutchinson  for  his  late  ingenious  publica- 
tion of  a  book  entitled  the  'Practical  Seaman,'  being  deemed 
a  book  of  great  utility  to  commercial  places."  This  work 
elicited  the  following  tribute  from  a  competent  authority:— 

"  Sir  Thomas  Frankland  presents  his  compliments  to 
Mr.  Hutchinson,  and  hopes  he  will  approve  their  Institution. 
He  makes  their  Superintendent  read  over,  with  the  eldest  of 
the  boys,  his  Treatise  on  Seamanship* ;  which  he  thinks 
seems  as  if  written  for  the  instruction  of  their  Maritime 
School  at  Chelsea.  November  3Oth,  1781.  N.B.  He  wishes 
the  officers  of  the  Navy  would  study  it  also." 

Scattered  through  Captain  Hutchinson's  work  is  a  vast 
amount  of  matter  which  enables  us  to  realize  the  difficulties 
of  the  old  navigators,  who,  previous  to  its  publication  "  were 
left  entirely  to  learn  their  duty  by  their  own  and  other 
people's  misfortunes."  The  captain  was  the  pioneer,  not 
only  of  scientific  seamanship,  but  of  scientific  shipbuilding, 
for  the  marine  architects,  as  well  as  the  mariners  of  those 
days,  were  either  too  conservative  to  adopt  new  methods,  or 
attempted  impossibilities  in  defiance  of  the  laws  of  Nature. 
The  annals  of  the  eighteenth  century  teem  with  terrible 
catastrophes  arising  from,  the  crass  ignorance  of  shipbuilders. 
Vessels,  with  hundreds  of  people  on  board,  suddenly  capsized 
before  a  puff  of  wind,  simply  owing  to  a  radical  defect  in  the 

*  In  1791,  a  new  and  enlarged  edition  of  the  work  was  issued  with  the 
following  formidable  sub-title  :  — 

"A  Treatise  founded  upon  Philosophical  and  Rational  Principles,  towards 
establishing  fixed  rules  for  the  best  form  and  proportional  dimensions  in  length, 
breadth,  and  depth  of  Merchant's  Ships  in  general ;  and  also  the  Management  of 
them  to  the  greatest  Advantage,  by  Practical  Seamanship  ;  with  important  hints 
and  remarks  relating  thereto ;  from  long  approved  experience.  By  William 
Hutchinson,  Mariner,  and  Dock  Master  at  Liverpool.  Liverpool:  Printed  by 
Thomas  Billinge,  Castle  Street,  1791." 

"This  book  is  most  humbly  dedicated  to  His  Royal  Highness  William 
Henry  Duke  of  Clarence,  President  of  that  most  patriotic  Society,  instituted  at 
London,  for  the  improvement  of  Nava>  Architecture,  by  His  Royal  Highness's 
Most  Humble  Servant,  William  Hutchinson." 


144  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

principle  of  construction.  Many  Liverpool  ships  were  lost 
in  this  manner,  the  Pelican  privateer,  which  overset 
opposite  Seacombe,  with  the  loss  of  about  70  lives,  being 
comparatively  a  minor  catastrophe.  Captain  Hutchinson, 
speaking  of  ships  being  built  too  high,  gives  the  following 
instance  : — "  We  had  a  late  fatal  loss  of  a  large  new  frigate 
on  her  first  voyage,  which  had  overset  with  upwards  of  five- 
hundred  slaves,  and  her  crew  all  drowned  except  two  seamen 
and  three  slaves  ;  which  added  to  the  many  other  such 
instances,  proves  the  necessity  to  endeavour  to  get  such 
general  rules  fixed  to  prevent  as  much  as  possible  such 
dreadful  losses."  Two  or  three  Liverpool  vessels  were 
built  on  lines  ,suggested  by  Captain  Hutchinson,  notably 
the  Hall  and  the  Elizabeth  for  the  Jamaica  trade,  both 
of  which  proved  veritable  "greyhounds  of  the  Atlantic." 

He  tells  an  anecdote  of  Mr.  Bryan  Blundell,  the  noble- 
hearted  founder  of  the  Blue  Coat  Hospital: — 

"  Being-    appointed    from     our    Pilots'    Committee    with 

Mr.   Bryan    Blundell,   Merchant,  who    had  been  a  great  and 

successful  shallop-racer  in  the  West  ^Indies,  to  go  with  two 

of  our  pilot  sloops  and  pilots  to  survey  our  neighbouring  ports, 

to  fix  rules  to  examine  our  pilots  by,  the  sloop  we  happened  to 

be  in  was  the  worst  sailer  of  the  two.     Mr.  Blundell  said  he 

would  make  it  sail  better  than  the  other  without  meddling 

with  the  mast,  sails,  or  rigging,  or  trimming'  her  more  by  the 

head  or  stern  ;  which  he  did  by  getting  the  Pilots  to  move  the 

heaviest  loose  materials  from  fore  and  aft  into  the  main  body 

amidships,  which  answered  the  designed  purpose,  and  made 

her  beat  the  other  sloop  as  much  as  they  beat  us  before." 

He  was  never  happier  than  when  making  experiments 

and  observations,  afloat  or  ashore.     At  one  time  he  is  an 

eye  witness  of  some  curious  experiments  made  in  a  close 

room  by  the  "ingenious  Mr.  Smeaton,"  for  the  purpose  of 

discovering  the  fixed  standard  of  velocity  for  windmill  sails, 

prior  to  the  framing  of  his  table  of  winds  ;  at  another  time, 


THE  SEVEN  YEARS'  WAR.  145 

he  stands  in  a  boat's  stern  sheets,  going  to  attack  a  ship, 
and  takes  particular  notice  that  cannon  shot  will  rebound 
and  rise  about  a  man's  height  out  of  the  water.  Having 
had  a  narrow  escape,  he  observes:  "I  saw  the  shot  first 
graze  the  water  right  ahead  of  us,  and  then  rise  and  go 
directly  over  our  heads,  and  make  ducks  and  drakes  right 
astern  of  us."  So  keen  was  this  scientific  instinct  and 
habit  of  observation  in  him,  that  even  in  action  he  made 
mental  notes  of  such  facts  as  this:  "  I  have  seen  a  bombshell 
turn  round  in  the  air,  by  the  centre  of  gravity  being  near 
the  middle,"  etc.  Most  philosophers  in  similar  circum- 
stances would  doubtless  feel  more  solicitous  regarding  their 
own  centre  of  gravity.  He  experimented  with  a  model  of  a 
ship  in  a  cistern  of  water  to  test  the  statement  of  his  friend 
Mr.  Henry  Bird,  "a  great  shipbuilder  at  the  Greenland 
Dock,  London,"  that  33  degrees,  or  three  points  of  the 
compass  was  the  best  angle  "for  sailing  vessels'  rudders  to 
be  fixed  to  traverse  to";  and  not  content  with  the  cistern  he 
"  having  the  management  of  our  three  long  graving  docks 
at  Liverpool,  where  we  have  in  common  ten  or  twelve  ships 
at  a  time  repairing  and  cleaning,"  with  a  bevel  tried  the 
traverse  of  many  ships'  rudders,  and  found  that  Mr.  Bird's 
rule  was  right.  It  appears  that  the  Parkgate  method  of 
hanging  the  rudders  was  heterodox,  and  caused  the  loss  of 
ships.  He  gives  a  curious  account  of  the  elaborate  experi- 
ments he  made  with  models  of  ships,  to  find  out  their  centre 
of  gravity  and  motion.  The  spectacle  of  the  "old  sea  dog," 
who  had  peppered  and  been  peppered  by  "the  enemies  of 
Great  Britain  "  (and  even  by  Great  Britain  herself,  as  in  the 
unfortunate  affair  of  the  Antelope  man-of-war),  being 
thus  engaged  with  his  miniature  ships,  reminds  us  of 
Uncle  Toby  and  Corporal  Trim  conducting  imaginary 
sieges  and  campaigns  in  the  kitchen  garden,  with  this 
difference,  that  Captain  Hutchinson's  hobbies  had  the  merit 
of  being  useful. 


1 16  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVA  TEERS. 

In  1789,  he  founded  the  Liverpool  Marine  Society,  for  the 
benefit  of  masters  of  vessels,  their  widows,  and  children, 
the  first  president  being  Mr.  Thomas  Staniforth.  Mr. 
Hutchinson  subscribed  one  hundred  guineas  to  it,  and  other 
benevolent  institutions  of  the  town  were  liberally  supported 
by  him.  This  is  the  more  remarkable,  because  his  stipend 
was  never  more  than  one  hundred  guineas  per  annum, 
although  his  duties  at  one  time  comprised  both  those  now 
exercised  by  the  harbour  master  and  those  of  a  dock  master. 

It  is  said  that  he  was  accustomed  to  observe  a  particular 
day,  in  each  year,  as  one  of  strict  devotion,  in  commemora- 
tion of  his  providential  deliverance  at  one  period  of  his  life, 
when,  after  the  loss  of  the  vessel  in  which  he  sailed,  he,  and 
others  of  the  crew  being  without  food,  had  drawn  lots 
to  ascertain  which  of  them  should  be  put  to  death,  in 
order  to  furnish  a  horrible  and  revolting  meal  to  the  sur- 
vivors. The  lot  fell  upon  Mr.  Hutchinson,  but  he  and  his 
fellow  sufferers  were  saved  by  another  vessel  which  hove 
in  sight. 

Captain  Hutchinson  died  at  a  ripe  old  age,  in  February, 
1801,  and  was  interred  in  St.  Thomas'  Churchyard,  close 
to  the  Old  Dock  and  the  office  in  which  a  great  portion  of  his 
life  was  passed.  Upon  the  site  of  that  dock  now  stands  a 
vast  and  gloomy  pile  of  buildings,  in  a  wing  of  which  the 
rulers  of  our  modern  docks  meet  and  deliberate ;  but  to  most 
of  them  the  name  of  Captain  Hutchinson  is  scarcely  known, 
and  his  deeds  and  personality  are  to  them  vague  and 
shadowy  as  those  of  the  heroes  of  the  Iliad. 

He  was  evidently  a  kindly  though  firm  commander.  "  I 
once,"  he  says,  "had  the  pleasure  of  taking  up  one  of 
my  seamen  from  under  water,  and  to  all  appearance 
drowned,  but  by  our  exertions  recovered  him,  and  the  first 
words  he  was  able  to  speak  (perceiving  me  busy  about  him) 
were,  'my  dear  Captain,  pray  for  me.'  To  which  I  replied, 
that  as  he  was  now  in  a  fair  way  of  recovery,  I  hoped  he 


THE  SEVEN  YEARS'  WAR.  147 

would  be  able  to  pray  for  himself,  and  be  thankful  to  Provi- 
dence for  his  narrow  escape." 

In  February,  1798,  when  a  voluntary  subscription,  which 
produced  over  ,£17,000,  was  entered  into  in  Liverpool,  to 
assist  the  government  to  meet  the  enormous  expenses  of 
the  war,  Captain  Hutchinson  pledged  himself  to  contribute 
£20  per  annum  as  long  as  the  war  lasted. 

Captain  Hutchinson  was  a  religious  man,  and  held  that, 
"  since  many  a  fruitful  and  flourishing  land  has  been  made 
barren  for  the  wickedness  of  its  inhabitants,  every  impious 
and  profane  man  ought  to  be  treated  as  the  greatest  enemy 
to  his  country."  He  quotes  Archbishop  Tillotson's  saying 
that  "  no  man  can  plead  that  he  was  born  with  a  swearing 
constitution,"  and  recommends  all  commanders  of  ships  to 
have  a  reasonable  part  of  Divine  worship  publicly  performed 
on  board  every  day,  "which,"  he  observes,  "to  our  shame, 
be  it  spoken,  is  often,  even  in  our  large  East  India  ships, 
scandalously  neglected.  This,  I  can  say  from  profitable 
experience,  contributes  greatly  to  produce  good  order,  har- 
mony, and  piety  on  board,  ^.nd  check  disorder,  vice,  and  im- 
morality of  every  kind,  even  amongst  the  most  dissolute 
and  ignorant  in  privateers,  as  well  as  merchants'  ships." 
We  are  not  accustomed  to  associate  privateering  with  Divine 
worship,  but  here  we  have  a  privateer  commander  as  devout 
in  his  way  as  John  Newton,  the  slave  captain.  For  the  first 
fifteen  years  of  his  sea  life  in  different  trades,  he  never  saw 
any  religious  duty  publicly  performed  on  board,  except  that 
in  an  East  India  ship  for  two  or  three  Sundays,  when  they 
drew  near  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  they  had  prayers,  which 
ceased  when  danger  passed  away.  He  blames  the  East 
India  Company  for  "  shamefully  rating  their  large  ships  only 
at  499  tons,  in  order  to  evade  the  expense  of  a  clergyman, 
and  the  penalty  of  the  law  for  not  carrying  one." 

It  would  be  impossible  to  form  a  true  estimate  of  the 
character  of  this  fine  old  privateer  captain  without  reading 


148  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

the  concluding  words  of  his  "  Practical  Seamanship.  " 
Referring  to  the  "  grand  atoning  sacrifice,"  he  characteris- 
tically observes  : — 

"And  how  devoutly  should  we  implore  the  promised 
assistance  of  his  aiding  and  sanctifying-  grace  to  conduct  us 
safe  throug-h  this  transitory  voyage  of  life  to  a  blessed  and 
happy  eternity.  Let  us  then,  under  the  direction  and  guidance 
of  this  great  Author  and  Captain  of  our  Salvation,  our  all 
glorious  Redeemer,  Christ  Jesus,  pursue  our  course  with 
steadiness  and  resolution,  and  fight  manfully  under  his  banner; 
looking  up  to  him  for  succour  in  all  our  distresses  and  dif- 
ficulties, who  is  powerful  in  heaven  and  earth,  and  will  never 
forsake  or  reject  those  who  sincerely  love  and  trust  in  him. 
To  whom  be  glory  for  ever.  Amen." 

This  was  the  spirit  that  animated  Cromwell  and  his  "Iron- 
sides," and  no  wonder  the  Liverpool  privateersmen  fought 
so  well,  when  men  like  William  Hutchinson  commanded 
them. 

The  Windsor,  Captain  Joseph  Clarke  (a  Letter  of  Marque), 
about  300  tons  burthen,  of  12  six-pounders  and  40  men, 
belonging  to  Messrs.  Edward  Trafford  &  Sons,*  was  taken 
on  her  passage  from  Liverpool  to  Philadelphia  by  a  French 
privateer  of  18  guns,  after  engaging  some  time,  and  carried 
to  Bayonne.  One  of  the  crew  of  the  Windsor,  writing  home 
from  Bayonne  prison,  which  was  "  very  sickly/'  tells  how 
Captain  Clarke,  Captain  Grubb,  and  a  Mr.  Berry  of  Liver- 
pool, made  their  escape  from  a  French  country  town,  where 
they  were  at  large  on  their  "  parole  of  honour."  They  were 
soon  retaken  on  their  way  to  St.  Sebastian  and  re-secured. 

*  Mr.  Henry  Trafford,  who  died  in  1740,  during  his  mayoralty,  had  expressed  a 
wish  that  his  body  should  lie  in  state,  and  that  an  oval  glass  plate  should  be  inserted 
in  the  lid  of  his  coffin,  so  that  the  spectators  who  knew  him  might  take  "a  last, 
lingering  look."  The  wish  was  carried  out  to  the  letter,  and  even  children  were 
held  up  to  see  the  show.  The  Trafforcl's  were  a  notable  family  in  Liverpool  during 
the  eighteenth  century,  and  became  connected  with  the  Leighs,  of  Oughtrington. 
In  1761,  Mr.  Edward  Trafford  (who  had  been  mayor  in  1742)  and  his  sons.  Mr. 
Richard  Trafford  (bailiff  in  1755),  and  Mr.  Wm.  Trafford,  all  lived  in  King  Street, 
and  Trafford's  Weint  in  that  locality  still  commemorates  the  family. 


THE  SEVEN    YEARS'  WAR.  149 

The  three  prisoners  lay  all  in  one  bed.  Captain  Clarke  in 
the  dead  of  night,  observing  the  guards  to  be  asleep,  made 
his  escape  through  the  window,  got  clear  off,  and  ultimately 
arrived  safe  in  Spain.  Captain  Grubb  and  Mr.  Berry, 
when  they  awoke  and  found  their  friend  missing,  attempted 
to  follow  his  example,  but  were  seized  when  in  the  window, 
and  sent  to  Bayonne  Castle.  Captain  Clarke  at  one  time 
commanded  the  Trafford,  200  tons  burthen,  10  guns  (six 
and  four-pounders),  belonging  to  the  same  owners. 

On  the  25th  of  February,  1758,  about  25  leagues  S.S.E.  from 
Cape  Tiburon,  the  Adventure,  Captain  George  Washington, 
a  s.hip  belonging  to  Mr.  Joseph  Manesty,  merchant — the 
friend  and  employer  of  John  Newton — was  attacked  by  the 
French  brigantine  Si.  Louis,  of  10  six-pounders,  18  swivels, 
and  1 20  men,  which  she  fought  five  hours,  most  of  the  time 
yard-arm  and  yard-arm.  Captain  Washington,  writing  from 
Kingston,  Jamaica,  gives  the  following  details  : — 

"During  the  engagement  I  had  one  man  killed  (got  at 
Cork)  and  one  wounded.  The  brig  had  two  killed  and  19 
wounded.  We  received  four  shot  between  wind  and  water, 
several  in  the  upper  works  ;  gaft  shot  away,  mainyard,  fore- 
topmast,  and  top-gallantmast  disabled,  two  guns  dismounted, 
topmast  stays,  shrouds,  backstays,  futtock  shrouds,  shot  away, 
and  not  a  lift  or  brace  standing,  but  one  strand  of  the  main- 
topsail  brace.  We  had  scarce  any  running  rigging  but  what 
was  shot  away,  sails  in  such  a  shattered  condition  that  they 
will  not  be  fit  to  bend  any  more.  Our  powder  being  all 
expended,  to  my  great  mortification,  we  were  obliged  to  haul 
down  the  colours.  They  saw  our  powder  chests  out  of  their 
tops,  or  they  would  have  boarded  us.  We  must  inevitably 
have  been  most  pa^t  of  us  killed  had  it  not  been  for  Matrosses 
and  Kendal  cottons  we  got  out  of  the  hold,  and  put  upon  the 
inside  of  the  filling  up  plank  in  the  waist,  for  they  had  60  men 
at  small  arms.  They  stripped  us  of  our  clothes  and  instru- 
ments, and  carried  us  into  Port  St.  Louis.  On  the  23rd  of 
March  our  ship's  company  arrived  here,  and  on  the  5th  inst. 


150  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

we  buried  Samuel  Chatterton,  apprentice.     Capt.   Boats  was 

pleased  to  make  me  an  offer  of  the  vessel  this  comes  by,  but  I 

chose  rather  to  keep    your  servants  together,   and  to  go  to 

Savannah  La  Mar,   and  take  in  your  interest  there.     Large 

vessels  sell  high,  as  it  begins  to  be  late  in  the  year,  and  willing 

to  get  in   your  debts    and  sail  first  convoy.        I    have  with 

Mr.  Richd.  Watt  bought  a  brigantine  of  about  80  tons,  which 

we  have  called  the  Mary.    She  is  a  good  vessel,  well  found,  and 

hope  may  get  money.      I   assure  you,   Sir,   your  outstanding 

debts  gives  me  no  small  concern,  but  hope  to  be  more  careful 

for  the  future,  as  I  see  the  many  evils  attending  it.     You  may 

depend  that  I'll  do  my  utmost  endeavours  to  bring  matters  to 

a  conclusion.     I  have  ten  tons  of  logwood  from  Mr.  Roper, 

and  will  sail  for  Savannah  La  Mar  in  two  days  with  a  vessel 

of  force.       Your  servants  are  all  with  me.     We  shall  certainly 

sail  first  convoy,  which  will  be  about  the   zoth  of  June,  and 

am,  with  gratitude  for  all  favours  conferred  on  me,  &c." 

This  letter  throws  some  light  on  the  affairs  of  Mr.  Manesty, 

by  whose  subsequent  failure  the  Rev.  John  Newton  lost  all 

his  savings,  which  he  had  entrusted  to  the  keeping  of  his 

generous  benefactor  and  former  employer.     Captain  Boats 

was  the  celebrated  merchant,    "  Billy  Boats,"  or  Boates,  of 

whom,  and  Mr.  Richard  Watt,  we  shall  have   occasion   to 

speak  later  on. 

On  the  I5th  of  April,  1758,  in  latitude  46.20  N.,  longitude 
12,  west  from  London,  the  ship  Pemberton^  Captain  Walter 
Kirkpatrick,  having  outsailed  her  consorts,  had  the  mis- 
fortune to  fall  in  with  the  Machault  privateer,  of  Bayonne,  26 
guns,  and  320  men,  which  she  mistook  for  a  homeward 
merchantman.  On  discovering  the  Frenchman's  force,  the 
Pemberton  made  sail,  and  kept  up  a  running  fight  with  her 
stern  chase  guns  two  hours  and-a-half.  In  a  letter  to  his 
owners,  written  from  a  French  prison,  Captain  Kirkpatrick 
thus  describes  what  ensued  : — 

"  She  soon  gained  on  us,  and  when  within  pistol  shot,  we 
•    fired  broadside  for  broadside  an  hour  and  an  half,  and  had  it 


THE  SEVEN  YEARS'   WAR.  151 

not  been  for  the  continual  fire  from  her  small  arms,  whose 
balls  were  like  showers  of  hail  and  obliged  my  men  to  run 
from  their  quarters,  perhaps  we  might  have  got  clear,  not- 
withstanding her  superior  force.  Thus  overpowered,  we  were 
obliged  to  strike.  Our  rigging,  masts,  yards,  and  sails  were 
very  ill  shattered,  though  our  people  were  tolerably  well  shel- 
tered. Four  of  our  people  were  wounded  ;  George  Godsall 
(since  dead).  Mr.  Woolley  Maisterson  had  his  leg  shot  away 
by  a  12  pound  ball,  which  dismounted  the  gun  he  was  quartered 
at,  went  through  the  dog's  body,  and  split  in  two  on  the 
capson.  He  is  now  in  a  fair  way  of  recovery  ;  Edward 
Langshaw  was  ill  hurt,  but  since  recovered.  All  the  rest  in 
good  health.  The  Captain  and  officers  behaved  very  well  to 
us,  the  former  complimented  me  with  my  hanger,  saying  I 
deserved  one  for  fighting  so  long,  and  ordered  me  all  my 
clothes,  watch,  books,  and  instruments,  of  which  I  got  part, 
the  remainder  being  plundered  during  my  being  on  board  the 
privateer,  which  I  think  is  as  near  the  model  of  the  Liverpool 
man  of  war  (now  in  Liverpool)  as  possible.  This  day  we  are 
ordered  all  into  close  confinement,  and  those  who  can  find  bail 
for  £i$o  are  allowed  to  go  on  parole  about  ten  miles  into  the 
country.  Your  letters  of  credit  will  be  extremely  acceptable, 
&c." 

On  May  2Qth,  1758,  the  Ellen  (Letter  of  Marque),  Captain 
Kirby,  14  carriage  guns  (8  four-pounders,  4  six-pounders, 
and  2  two-pounders),  in  latitude  48°,  150  leagues  W.  by  S. 
from  Cape  Clear,  met  with  a  large  French  ship,  mounting 
18  guns  (six-pounders)  and  full  of  men,  "  whom  he  engaged 
very  warmly  for  near  three  hours,  till  dark.  Captain  Kirby 
received  three  shots  in  his  hull,  which  went  through  him, 
five  through  his  mainsail,  six  through  his  fore  top  sail,  and 
one  in  the  head  of  his  foremast.  In  the  morning,  Captain 
Kirby  gave  him  a  broadside  ;  Monsieur  returned  the  com- 
pliment and  took  to  his  heels,  which  surprised  them,  as  she 
appeared  to  be  full  of  soldiers,  and  of  so  much  superior 
force."  In  June  of  the  same  year,  Messrs.  Joseph  and 


152  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

Jonathan  Brooks,  the  owners  of  the  Ellen,  while  searching 
the  snow  Prince  William,  a  Dutch  bottom,  captured  by  that 
vessel,  found  concealed  in  a  barrel  of  coffee,  a  large  packet 
of  French  letters,  several  of  which  were  advices  to  merchants 
in  France,  particularising  great  part  of  her  cargo  to  be 
French  property,  and  shipped  undercover.  Other  letters  in 
this  important  find  mentioned  large  quantities  of  goods 
shipped  in  different  Dutch  bottoms,  etc.  In  the  summer  of 
1759,  on  her  passage  from  Liverpool  to  Jamaica,  the  Ellen 
fell  in  with  three  French  privateers,  whom  she  engaged 
several  hours,  but  a  fourth  privateer  joining  the  others,  they 
all  boarded  the  Ellen,  took  her,  and  carried  her  into 
Martinico.  The  gallant  Captain  Kirby  and  seven  of  his  men 
were  wounded  in  the  action. 

Captain  Spears,  of  the  Granmlle,  who  arrived  in  Liverpool 
from  Edenton,  North  Carolina,  with  a  cargo  of  tar  and 
tobacco,  had  the  ill-fortune  to  meet  with  \\\z  Jupiter  privateer, 
of  Bayonne,  22  guns,  and  250  men,  Captain  Jean  Maubeaule, 
and  agreed  to  pay  the  said  captain  ,£500,  as  ransom  money 
for  his  ship  and  cargo  on  his  arrival  at  Liverpool.  The 
French  captain,  a  Frenchman  of  the  old  school,  treated 
Captain  Spears  very  politely ;  offered  him  bread,  water, 
and  anything  his  ship  afforded,  but  begged  to  carry  off 
Mr.  Alexander  Scott,  the  chief  mate,  as  "ransomer,"  or 
security  for  the  due  payment  of  the  ransom  money.  The 
Jupiter  also  captured  the  Knutsford,  Captain  Sefton,  from 
Liverpool  for  St.  Kitts,  and  ransomed  her  for  fifteen  hundred 
guineas. 

The  practice  of  ransoming  vessels  for  large  sums  of  money 
continued  during  the  whole  of  this  war  and  during  part  of 
the  American  war,  but  it  was  then  declared  illegal.  The 
late  Sir  John  Tobin,  when  a  boy,  on  his  first  voyage  narrowly 
escaped  being  carried  off  as  a  "ransomer,"  along  with  the 
mate  and  one  of  the  able  seamen  of  the  ship.  Fortunately 
for  him,  the  captain  of  the  privateer,  who  was  an  Irish 


THE  SEVEN  YEARS'   WAR.  153 

Frenchman,  Captain  Kelly  by  name,  had  known  his  father 
at  Douglas,  and  on  finding  whose  son  he  was,  sent  him 
away  rejoicing. 

But  a  ransom,  however  desirable,  could  not  always  be 
arranged,  as  will  be  seen  from  the  following  letter,  written 
by  Captain  Josiah  Wilson,  of  the  Aurora,  to  his  owners  in 
Liverpool,  from  St.  Andero  in  Spain,  and  dated  June  I2th, 

1758:- 

"We  were  unfortunately  taken  by  the  Jupiter  Privateer, 
belonging-  to  Bayonne,  on  the  24th  of  May  last,  in  lat.  45  30  N. 
and  33  40  W.  Long,  from  London,  which  is  farther  to  the  west- 
ward than  anyone  could  imagine  an  European  Privateer  would 
cruize.  She  has  taken  six  prizes  this  cruize,  exclusive  of  our 
vessel,  three  of  which  belong  to  Glasgow.  One  of  the  prizes  she 
took  was  got  as  far  to  the  westward  as  40  degrees  from  London. 
We  fell  in  with  her  in  the  night,  but  never  saw  her  till  the 
morning,  when  she  was  about  a  league  to  windward  of  us,  and 
steering  the  same  course  we  did.  I  took  her  for  some  English 
merchantman,  as  her  guns  were  all  housed.  We  were  well 
prepared  for  an  engagement,  but  as  soon  as  she  came  alongside, 
they  ran  out  their  guns,  and  fired  into  us  ;  two  of  their  shot 
struck  us  but  killed  none  of  our  men.  There  was  no  contend- 
ing with  a  ship  of  her  force,  for  she  mounted  22  guns,  12  nine- 
pounders,  and  10  six-pounders,  with  280  men,  and  frigate  built. 
I  could  not  ransom  her  upon  any  account,  for  as  the  ship's 
cruize  was  just  out,  they  determined  to  return  and  convoy  their 
prize  to  Bayonne.  We  were  busking  in  the  Bay  of  Biscay  ten 
days,  where  I  was  in  great  hopes  of  being  retaken  by  some 
English  cruizer,  but  am  now  out  of  all  hopes,  the  prize  as  well 
as  the  privateer  being  both  at  anchor  in  this  port,  which  is  about 
35  leagues  from  Bayonne." 

In  November,  1758,  Captain  Wm.  Part,  formerly  a  com- 
mander in  the  Virginia  trade,  died  at  Prescot,  and  his 
remains  were  brought  to  Liverpool  for  interment.  His 
funeral  was  attended  by  ten  of  the  oldest  seamen's  widow's, 
to  whom  he  left  each  thirty  shillings  for  a  gown,  handker- 


154  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

chief  and  hood  ;  and  by  the  Blue  Coat  Hospital  boys,  to 
whom  he  had  been  a  great  benefactor.  He  left  ^50  to  the 
Infirmary  ;  ^"200  to  a  school  which  he  built  at  Hale,  and 
loaves  of  bread  to  be  given  to  the  poor  of  that  township 
every  Sunday.  He  had,  it  seems,  intended  ^600  more  for 
the  school,  but  withdrew  it  on  account  of  some  disagree- 
ment with  the  lord  of  the  manor.  To  a  number  of  his  poor 
relations  he  left  legacies,  but  would  not  allow  them  to  attend 
his  funeral.  He  also  built  four  almshouses  in  Prescot,  in 
which  parish  this  curious  old  "  sea  dog,"  who  performed 
other  good  deeds,  had  resided  some  time — probably  to  be 
inaccessible  to  his  poor  relations  !* 

During  the  year  1758,  the  French  had  decidedly  the  best 
of  the  privateering.  In  March,  no  ships  of  any  sort  sailed 
from  Liverpool,  or  arrived  in  the  port,  for  some  weeks,  owing 
to  the  boldness  of  the  Frenchmen  "  which  laid  an  effectual 
embargo  on  the  coast."  Yet  the  paper  of  December  ist, 
was  able  to  speak  in  the  following  comfortable  strain: — "  It 
has  been  remarked  by  those  who  have  access  to  know 
the  truth,  that  England  never  carried  on  a  greater  trade,  not 
only  in  any  time  of  war,  but  even  in  any  time  of  peace  than 
at  this  period,  and  this  chiefly  at  the  expense  of  our  enemies' 
commerce;  so  that  the  nation  is  thereby  a  double  gainer. 
And  never  in  the  memory  perhaps  of  any  now  alive  were 
Great  Britain's  power  and  reputation  abroad  higher  than  at 
present." 

The  reduction  of  Cape  Breton  was  a  fatal  blow  to  the 
French  trade,  and  most  beneficial  to  the  British,  for  the 
rates  of  insurance  to  America,  etc.,  fell  from  25  and  even  30 
per  cent,  to  no  more  than  12,  while  the  enemies'  rates  rose 
in  proportion  to  the  falling  of  ours. 

*  Eaines,  in  his  "History  of  Lancashire,"  states  that  over  the  porch  of  the 
Grammar  School  at  Childvvall,  founded  and  endowed  by  William  Part,  and  afford- 
ing instruction  to  about  twelve  boys,  is  this  inscription  : — "  M.  S.  Hoc  /Edificium 
Gulielmus  Part  a  longa  Majorum  hujus  Pagi  Indigenarum  oriundus  suo  solius 
Impendio  extruxit  Censuque  Donavit  Anno  S.  H.  MDCCXXX1X." 


THE  SEVEN  YEARS'   WAR. 


155 


On  the  I3th  of  February,  1759,  forty-five  merchants  and 
shipowners  of  Liverpool  addressed  a  letter  to  Mr.  Robert 
Williamson,  printer  of  the  Liverpool  Advertiser,  requesting 
him  to  suppress  the  list  of  vessels  sailing  from  the  port,  as 
they  had  "too  much  reason  to  apprehend"  that  it  had 
"been  of  very  bad  consequence  this  war."  The  signatures 
attached  to  the  document  are  those  of  the  principal  ship- 
owners of  Liverpool  at  that  stirring  period  : — 


Matthew  Stronge 
Robert  Cheshire 
John  White 
R.  Armitage 
George  Campbell 
James  Clemens 
John  Stronge 
William  Gregson 
James  Brown 
John  Parr 
Thomas  RumboM 
John  Stanton 
John  Hammer 
William  Fleetwood 
William  Trafford 


Richard  Savage 
John  Bridge 
George  Drinkwater 
William  Williamson 
Robert  Hesketh 
John  Maine 
John  Ashton 
Thomas  Mears 
Henry  Hardwar 
John  Hughes 
Edward  Parr 
William  Crosby 
John  Ansdell 
Samuel  Woodward 
William  Reid 


Robert  Cunliffe 

John  Tarleton 

James  Gildart 

John  Backhouse 

John  Welch 

Arthur  and  Benjamin  Heywood 

Halliday  &  Dunbar 

John  Gorell 

George  Campbell  &  Sons 

Ralph  Earle 

John  Crosbie 

Scroop  Colquitt 

Charles  Goore 

William  Earle 

James  Clegg 


On  the  22nd  of  February,  1759,  the  Catherine  (Letter  of 
Marque),  12  guns  and  35  men,  Captain  Seth  Houghton,  on 
her  passage  from  Liverpool  to  Montserrat,  fell  in  with  a 
French  privateer  of  16  guns  and  145  men,  with  whom,  after 
exchanging  a  few  shot,  about  seven  in  the  morning,  they 
came  to  a  general  and  close  engagement,  which  for  the  most 
part  was  within  pistol  shot,  till  four  in  the  afternoon,  when 
the  Catherine,  overpowered  by  numbers,  was  obliged  to 
strike.  During  the  action,  the  privateer  sheered  off  twice, 
having  seven  of  her  men  killed  and  seven  wounded,  and 
mounted  four  more  guns,  which  she  had  been  obliged  to 
dismount  a  few  days  before  when  chased  by  an  English 
man-of-war.  The  crew  of  the  Catherine  had  the  mis- 
fortune of  killing  one  of  their  own  men,  and  hurting  the 


156  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

third  mate  and  two  others,  when  firing  their  first  broad- 
side. The  Captain  was  wounded  by  a  musket  ball,  and 
narrowly  escaped  a  four-pound  shot,  which  carried  away 
part  of  his  waistcoat.  After  they  had  struck,  the  French 
captain  complimented  Captain  Houghton  on  his  gallant 
behaviour,  and  would  not  allow  him  to  be  plundered, 
like  the  rest  of  the  prisoners.  While  they  were  exchanging 
prisoners,  the  second  mate  of  the  Catherine,  and  a  boy  from 
Cheshire  were  drowned,  through  too  many  privateersmen 
jumping  into  the  boat  in  their  eagerness  for  plunder.  The 
shrouds,  masts  and  hull  of  the  Catherine  suffered  severely  in 
the  action.  The  privateer  had  taken  18  prizes. 

The  Upton  (Letter  of  Marque),  Captain  Birch,  arrived  at 
Gambia,  from  Liverpool,  on  May  gth,  1759,  with  a  prize, 
taken  off  the  Canary  Islands,  the  cargo  of  which  was  valued 
at  ^5,000. 

The  Prince  Frederick,  Captain  Frierson,  on  her  passage 
from  Liverpool  to  Guadaloupe,  had  a  smart  engagement  of 
three  hours  with  a  privateer  of  10  guns,  whom  they  obliged 
to  sheer  off. 

Captain  William  Lethwayte,  of  the  Wheel  of  Fortune, 
from  Liverpool  for  Tortola,  writing  from  Antigua,  says  : — 
"  In  the  evening-  of  the  24th  of  May,  1759,  in  lat.  17°,  and 
about  25  leagues  to  the  eastward  of  this  island,  we  fell  in  with 
a  French  privateer,  and  at  half  past  six  o'clock  next  morning- 
she  attacked  us,  and  continued  till  eight,  when  she  sheered 
off  to  stop  her  leaks  and  repair  other  damages  she  had 
received  in  the  action,  it  being  very  smart  and  within  half 
pistol  shot.  At  eleven  she  renewed  the  attack  as  brisk  as 
ever,  till  twelve,  at  which  time,  being-  little  wind,  she  g-ot  her 
oars  and  rowed  from  us,  a  second  time  to  stop  her  leaks,  &c. 
This  being-  done,  she  hauled  to  the  northward  out  of  g-un  shot, 
but  kept  hovering  in  sight  all  afternoon  and  night.  Next 
morning,  being  the  26th,  we  saw  another  sloop  of  twelve 
carriage  guns,  22  swivels,  and  120  men,  who  spoke  with  the 
one  we  had  engaged,  then  astern  of  us.  Immediately  they 


THE  SEVEN  YEARS'   WAR.  157 

bore  down  and  both  began  to  engage  us  very  warmly,  but  to 
our  greater  surprise  and  mortification,  before  we  had  fired 
above  30  shot,  we  perceived  two  other  vessels  bearing  down, 
which  proved  to  be  French  privateers  ;  one  a  sloop  of  ten 
carriage  guns,  16  swivels,  and  90  men,  and  the  other  a 
schooner  of  the  same  force.  At  the  same  time  we  saw  a  fifth 
privateer  stretching  for  us  from  the  S.E.  so  that  we  thought 
it  prudent  to  strike  (though  against  all  our  inclinations  if 
could  possibly  be  avoided)  rather  than  to  risk  our  lives  and  not 
the  least  probability  of  getting  clear.  The  Fward,  Capt.  Kevish, 
the  Swan,  Capt.  Slazer,  of  Dumfries,  both  last  from  Liverpool, 
and  the  Cork  Packet,  Capt.  Champion,  of  Cork,  were  in  com- 
pany when  taken,  and  being  defenceless,  shared  the  same 
fate.  We  were  all  carried  into  Martinico,  where  I  was  taken 
ill  with  the  flux,  but  am  now  perfectly  recovered,  and  expect 
to  sail  in  the  first  Antigua  fleet." 

In  July,  1759,  the  Vengeance  man-of-war,  of  26  guns, 
formerly  the  celebrated  French  privateer  of  that  name, 
arrived  in  the  estuary  of  the  Mersey,  and  about  a  week  later, 
the  Golden  Lyon,  Captain  Thompson,  returned  from  the 
Greenland  fishery.  The  whaler,  in  stretching  in  with  the 
buoys  laid  in  the  mouth  of  the  Mersey,  fell  in  with  twro 
cutter  tenders,  one  of  which  kept  company  with  her  till 
within  gunshot  of  the  man-of-war,  and  then  hoisted  a  signal 
for  four  boats,  which  boarded  the  Golden  Lyon.  The 
lieutenant  in  command  of  the  man-of-war's  men,  hailing  the 
crew  of  the  whaler,  declared  that  he  would  impress  all  of 
them  except  the  officers,  unless  they  entered  as  volunteers, 
whereupon  the  men  of  the  Golden  Lyon,  60  strong,  answered 
that  as  they  belonged  to  the  Greenland  Fishery,  they  would 
not  be  impressed,  and  to  enforce  their  words,  brandished 
their  long  knives  and  harpoons,  vowing  vengeance  on  the 
man  that  attempted  it.  This  demonstration  terrified  the 
man-of-war's  men,  who  jumped  into  their  boats,  while  the 
lieutenant  got  on  the  quarter  deck  of  the  Golden  Lyon,  and 
ordered  the  Vengeance  and  her  tenders  to  fire  at  the  whaler, 


158  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

which  was  within  pistol  shot  of  them.  Part  of  the  Green- 
landman's  crew  then  forced  Captain  Thompson  and  his 
officers  into  the  cabin,  standing  sentry  over  them,  and 
keeping  the  lieutenant  of  the  Vengeance  on  deck,  to  run  the 
same  chance  of  being  shot  with  themselves  ;  whilst  the 
remainder  filled  the  sails,  and  crowded  away  from  the  Ven- 
geance, which  slipped  her  cables,  and  fired  her  bow  chase 
into  the  Golden  Lyon  "as  quick  as  possible."  Several  of 
the  nine-pound  shot  struck  different  parts  of  the  town,  but 
luckily  did  no  other  damage  than  destroying  a  boat  in  a 
builder's  yard,  though  many  hundred  spectators  were  very 
near  it.  Other  shots  carried  away  the  rigging,  sails,  and 
mizenstay  of  the  Golden  Lyon,  whose  crew,  however,  carried 
her  safe  into  the  dock  clear  of  the  man-of-war's  people. 

On  the  following  day,  the  whaler's  crew  proceeded  to  the 
Custom-house,  to  give  bond,  and  to  renew  their  protections, 
according  to  Act  of  Parliament.  Immediately  after  they 
had  done,  a  large  party  of  the  press  gang  forced  themselves 
into  the  Custom-house,  fired  several  pistols,  and  committed 
other  outrages,  crowning  the  whole  by  impressing  Captain 
Thompson  and  five  of  his  crew.  The  rest  escaped  by 
various  ways,  some  risking  life  and  limb  by  jumping 
through  the  windows  ;  others  climbed  on  the  house  tops 
and  over  the  walls.  Whilst  the  press  gang  were  taking  the 
impressed  men  down  to  the  water  side,  they  were  hooted  by 
some  women,  one  of  whom  "  was  shot  through  the  legs  with 
a  brace  of  balls."  The  paper  of  August  3rd,  announced 
that  Captain  Thompson  had  been  discharged  from  the  Ven- 
geance man-of-war  ;  that  several  bullets  fired  by  the  press 
gangs  in  the  Custom-house  had  been  found,  and  that  the 
magistrates  and  merchants  were  determined  to  prosecute  the 
ruffians  for  their  insolence,  "one  of  the  magistrates  being 
then  in  the  Custom-house,  and  very  ill-treated  for  com- 
manding the  peace,  etc."  This  was  bad  enough,  but  the 
commander  of  the  Vengeance  was  capable  of  inflicting  even 


THE  SEVEN  YEARS'   WAR.  159 

greater  injustice  on  the  wretched  seamen  who  fell  into  his 
hands.  About  the  same  time,  the  slave  ship  Ingram  (Letter 
of  Marque),  returned  to  port  from  one  of  her  usually  pleasant 
and  profitable  little  trips  to  Africa  and  Jamaica.  The  crew, 
having-  secured  the  captain,  attempted  to  get  clear  of  the 
man-of-war  and  four  tenders,  but,  "the  tide  being  spent," 
says  the  paper,  "the  ship's  company  and  officers  were  all 
impressed,  except  the  chief  mate  and  commander.  On  their 
being  brought  on  board  the  man-of-war,  Captain  -  — , 
ordered  each  man  to  be  tied  up,  stripped,  and  whipped. 
This  needs  no  comment,  for  had  the  seamen  committed  any 
offence  against  the  laws  of  this  realm,  they  were  entitled  to 
an  Englishman's  right."  It  is  no  exaggeration  to  say  that 
in  some  respects,  the  British  sailor  at  this  time,  and  for  long 
afterwards,  was  worse  off  than  the  negroes  he  assisted  to 
oppress.  His  freedom  was  a  sham,  and  the  law  which  made 
it  so  has  never  been  repealed,  though  it  may  never  be 
enforced  again.  Unfortunately  there  is  a  probability  that  a 
few  years  hence  a  genuine  British  seaman  will  be  a  greater 
curiosity  than  that  "animal  exceedingly  rare,"  whose  fossil 
bones  puzzled  "  the  Society  upon  the  Stanislaus." 

The  brig  Providence,  Captain  Parke,  on  her  passage 
from  Liverpool  to  Tortola,  was  attacked  by  a  French 
privateer  of  12  guns,  18  swivels  and  80  men,  which  got 
clear  off,  much  shattered,  by  dint  of  superior  sailing,  after 
a  smart  engagement  of  two  hours,  during  which  the  French 
had  six  killed  and  seven  wounded,  while  only  one  man  was 
wounded  on  board  the  Providence. 

Captain  Quirk,  of  the  Prussian  Hero  (Letter  of  Marque), 
of  18  guns,  and  60  men,  writing  from  Guadaloupe  in 
December,  1759,  says  :— 

"  I  arrived  here  the  8th  inst.  from  Barbadoes.  On  my 
passage  from  thence,  I  fell  in  with  three  French  privateers,  viz  : 
one  a  sloop  of  10  guns,  a  sloop  of  eight  guns,  and  a  schooner 
of  6  guns,  all  whom  I  engaged  very  briskly  two  hours.  The 


160  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

two  sloops  rowed  up  in  order  to  board  us,  having  their  bow- 
sprits crowded  with  people,  stink-pots,  &c.,  on  which  I  ordered 
the  guns  to  be  double  loaded  with  round  and  grape  shot,  and 
gave  them  such  a  warm  reception,  as  obliged  them  immediately 
to  sheer  off,  much  damaged,  and  undoubtedly  with  the  loss  of 
many  men.  They  were  no  sooner  got  a  little  distance  off  than 
joined  by  two  other  privateers  (in  all  five)  to  whom  I  gave  chase, 
a  breeze  springing  up,  as  fast  as  possible,  till  they  ran  close  in 
shore  off  Martinico.  I  then  steered  my  course  for  this  place. 
Had  wind  favoured  me  at  the  beginning  of  the  action,  should 
have  taken  at  least  one  of  the  three." 

Captain  Quirk  formerly  commanded  the  snow  Betty 
(Letter  of  Marque),  of  10  guns,  belonging  to  Mr.  Peter 
Holme,  merchant.  She  was  taken  on  her  passage  from 
Jamaica,  by  the  Count  de  St.  Florentine  privateer,  and 
retaken  by  the  Royal  Hunter  privateer,  of  New  York,  and 
sent  into  Rhode  Island.  The  French  privateer  was  taken 
herself  soon  after. 

Some  of  the  privateersmen,  having  received  their  bounty 
money  in  advance,  decided  to  fight  another  day  ;  and  from 
the  following  advertisements  offering  rewards  for  the  appre- 
hension of  such  gentry,  we  are  enabled  to  form  some  idea 
of  the  personal  appearance  and  dress  of  the  very  mixed 
specimens  of  humanity  who  composed  the  fighting  crews : — 

"  Ran  away  from  the  ship  Liverpool  privateer  .  .  .  John 
Coulston,  a  middleaged  man,  about  5  foot  7  inches  high, 
wears  his  own  hair,  brown  complexion,  and  very  much  marked 
with  the  small  pox.  Had  on,  when  he  went  away,  a  cheque 
shirt  and  2  waistcoats,  one  made  of  white  flannel,  trimmed 
round  with  black  tape  and  black  buttons,  and  the  other  a  blue 
frize  ;  wore  a  brown  pair  of  fustian  breeches,  dark  blue  stock- 
ings, and  round  pewter  buckles.  Any  person  who  will  secure 
the  said  Coulston,  by  applying  to  Charles  Williams,  at  the  sign 
of  the  Whale  Fishery,  on  Sea-Brow,  shall  receive  a  handsome 
reward." 
Two  seamen,  who  had  run  away  from  the  ship  Pember- 


THE  SEVEN  YEARS'   WAR.  161 

fan,  after  receiving-  four  guineas  each  advance  as  their 
bounty  money  for  proceeding  in  the  said  vessel,  were  thus 
described  : — 

"  William  Toutcher,  seaman,  aged  22  years,  served  his 
time  out  of  Whitehaven  in  the  coal  trade,  just  arrived  from  a 
French  prison,  (and  has  procured  a  pass  from  the  Wor- 
shipful William  Goodwin  Esq  :  Mayor  of  this  town  to  proceed 
to  Dover,  the  place  of  his  residence,  being-  born  there)  about 
5  feet  8  inches  high,  wore  a  green  jacket,  a  white  flannel 
waistcoat,  a  pair  of  trowsers,  and  a  wig  ;  is  of  a  middling  fair 
complexion,  and  a  stout  able  young  fellow. 

"John  Melody,  seaman,  born  at  Winchester,  served  his 
time  in  the  navy,  and  lately  belonged  to  the  Fame  privateer  of 
Guernsey ;  about  5  feet  high,  aged  30,  wore  a  blue  serge 
waistcoat,  with  a  row  of  white  buttons  down  each  side,  an  old 
blue  waistcoat,  a  wig,  and  sometimes  trowsers.  Whoever 
apprehends  either  of  the  above  seamen,  so  that  they  may  be 
brought  to  justice  shall  receive  two  guineas  for  each  man,  by 
applying  to  Charles  Magee,  Boatswain  of  the  ship  Pemberton, 
Walter  Kirkpatrick,  commander,  in  Redcross-st. 

"N.B.  They  came  here  in  the  ship  Liverpool  Privateer, 
Captain  Hutchinson." 

Four  men,  who  ran  away  from  the  Spy  privateer,  were 
described  as  follows  : — 

"  Daniel  Lindsay,  a  full-faced  man,  about  20  years  of  age, 
5  feet  4  inches  high,  had  on  when  he  went  off  a  blue  jacket,  a 
white  waistcoat,  a  check  pair  of  trousers,  and  wore  a  cap  or 
wig.  Henry  M'Cormick,  of  a  fair  complexion,  about  19  years 
old,  5  ft.  9  inches  high,  wore  a  black  wig,  a  blue  jacket,  a 
white  waistcoat  trimmed  with  black.  John  Smith  had  on  a 
blue  rug  great  coat,  a  brown  frize  coat  under  it,  a  curled  light 
coloured  wig,  and  a  slouched  hat.  Robert  Maxwell  had  on  a 
snuff  coloured  fustian  coat.  He  was  very  much  pitted  with 
the  small  pox,  had  a  brown  complexion  and  sometimes  wore  a 
wig  over  his  hair.  Both  very  much  addicted  to  gaming." 


162  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

The  treatment  of  the  English  prisoners  of  war  in  France 
during  this  war  appears  to  have  been  excessively  severe. 
Captain  James  Settle,  of  the  Annabella,  a  ship  laden  with 
1400  barrels  of  tar,  deerskins,  reeds,  etc.,  from  Cape  Fear, 
was  taken  in  November,  1756,  by  the  Luce  privateer,  of  Brest, 
who  stripped  him  and  his  people  almost  naked.  "  We  have 
pleasure  to  inform  our  readers,"  says  the  Liverpool  paper, 
"  that  the  French  prisoners  brought  into  this  port  have  met 
with  more  humanity  from  our  privateers'  brave  crews." 
But  the  Frenchmen  in  Liverpool  were  not  happy,  though 
lodged  in  the  ancient  fortress  of  the  Stanleys,  for,  on  April 
22nd,  1757,  we  read  that  one  Monday  night,  between  n  and 
12  o'clock,  the  prisoners  took  out  a  window,  and  by  the  help 
of  a  rope,  four  of  them  got  down  into  the  street  and  made 
their  escape.  The  noise  they  made  alarmed  the  neighbour- 
hood, and  the  rest  were  immediately  secured.  .  A  reward 
was  offered  for  their  capture,  but  without  success.  In  1759, 
several  French  prisoners  got  away  at  one  time.  Many  of 
these  came  back  to  the  Tower  of  their  own  accord,  while 
others  were  captured  in  a  state  of  starvation.*  In  December, 
1756,  the  Lords  of  the  Admiralty  took  the  dancing  room  and 
buildings  adjacent,  at  the  bottom  of  Water  Street,  and  fitted 
them  up  for  the  French  prisoners  "  in  a  very  commodious 
manner,  there  being  a  handsome  kitchen,  with  furnaces,  &c., 
for  cooking  their  provisions,  and  good  lodging  rooms,  both 
above  and  below  stairs."  "  Their  lordships,"  says  the  paper 
of  December  3ist,  "  have  ordered  a  hammock  and  bedding 
(same  as  used  on  board  our  men-of-war)  for  each  prisoner, 
which  it's  to  be  hoped  will  be  a  means  of  procuring  our 
countrymen,  who  have  fallen  into  their  hands,  better  usage 


*  In  December,  1759.  James  Seabrook,  silversmith,  was  committed  to  Lancaster 
for  assisting  one  Jaques  L'Uleur,  a  French  prisoner  of  war,  to  make  his  escape  from 
prison,  and  "the  honourable  the  Commissioners  for  prisoners  of  war  "sent  positive 
orders  to  their  agent  in  Liverpool,  to  prosecute  with  the  utmost  rigour  all  persons 
that  should  "mediately or  immediately"  assist  any  prisoner  of  war  to  make  his 
escape. 


THE  SEVEN  YEARS'   WAR.  163 

than  hitherto,  many  of  them  having  been  treated  with  great 
inhumanity." 

The  Tower  of  Liverpool,  in  which  the  prisoners  of  war 
were  confined  at  this  period,  stood  at  the  bottom  of  Water- 
Street,  on  the  north  side,  on  the  site  of  the  present  Tower 
Buildings.  Viewed  from  the  river,  the  Tower  was  a 
picturesque  and  venerable  object.  It  was  built  of  red  sand- 
stone, in  the  Norman  style;  at  one  time  battlemented,  but 
afterwards  crenelated.  It  would  appear  that  the  original 
structure  consisted  of  a  large  square,  embattled  tower,  with 
subordinate  towers  and  buildings,  forming  three  sides  of  an 
interior  quadrangle,  which  were  altered  from  time  to  time. 
Including  its  gardens,  it  occupied  an  area  of  3,700  square 
yards.  Between  the  Tower  and  the  river  there  was,  at  one 
time,  a  passage  leading  into  St.  Nicholas'  Churchyard,  and 
eventually  this  passage  became  the  street  called  "  Prison 
Weint."  Two  houses  then  skirted  the  river  side,  one  of 
them  the  "Ferry  House"  tavern.  The  inhabitants  of  the 
town  used  to  walk  and  show  off  their  finery  in  the  Tower 
gardens.  After  being  for  centuries  the  town  house  of  the 
Earls  of  Derby — the  theatre  of  stirring  events,  stately 
functions,  and  feudal  jollifications — the  tower,  in  1737,  passed 
out  of  the  hands  of  the  Stanleys,  who  sold  it  to  the  Clayton 
family,  by  whom  it  was  let  to  the  Corporation  for  the 
borough  gaol.  For  years  after  this  transformation  and 
lapse  of  dignity,  the  utmost  disorder  reigned  within  it,  and 
scenes  of  the  grossest  depravity  were  frequent.  There  was 
a  large,  open  space  in  the  interior,  in  which  the  prisoners 
took  exercise,  and  here  both  debtors  and  criminals — men  and 
women — were  allowed  to  meet  promiscuously.  The  debtors' 
room  was  made  use  of,  amongst  other  purposes,  as  a  chapel, 
and  also  as  a  general  assembly  room.  It  is  said  that  the 
ladies  went  there  from  their  houses  in  blue  cloaks  and 
pattens,  coaches  not  being  then  in  general  use.  On  these 
occasions,  the  sounds  of  the  music  were  so  plainly  heard 


164  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

throughout  the  building,  that  the  prisoners  used  to  "jig"  it  as 
\vell  as  the  free  merry-makers.  In  1775,  John  Howard,  the 
philanthropist,  visited  the  tower  gaol,  of  which  he  gives  a 
deplorable  account.  The  place,  which  had  just  been  pur- 
chased by  the  Corporation  for  the  sum  of  ^1535  ios.,  was 
insufferably  dirty,  grimy  and  wretched.  There  were  two 
large  yards,  in  one  of  which  poultry  was  kept,  and  in  the 
middle  of  it  was  a  great  dunghill.  The  cells  were  seven  in 
number,  6  ft.  7  in.  in  length,  5  ft.  9  in.  in  breadth,  and  6  ft. 
high.  In  each  cell  three  persons  were  locked  up  nightly. 
There  was  a  large  dungeon,  with  an  iron  grated  window 
looking  on  the  street,  in  which  as  many  as  twenty  and 
thirty  prisoners  were  confined  at  a  time.  There  was  no 
infirmary,  nor  accommodation  for  the  sick.  The  women 
debtors  were  lodged  over  the  Pilot-office,  in  Water  Street. 
Mr.  Howard  made  strong  representations  to  the  authorities 
with  regard  to  the  disgraceful  state  of  the  prison,  but 
nothing  seems  to  have  been  done  in  the  way  of  improve- 
ment, except  some  whitewashing  and  cleaning.  The  phil- 
anthropist received  the  freedom  of  the  borough,  and  was 
lionised  for  his  investigations.  In  1803,  when  Mr.  Xeild, 
another  philanthropist,  visited  the  gaol,  its  condition  was 
rather  worse  than  better.  The  whole  prison  was  then  filthy 
in  the  extreme,  the  dirt  in  some  of  the  passages  being  three 
to  four  inches  thick,  while  the  large  dunghill,  ducks,  poul- 
try, etc.,  shared  the  courtyard  with  the  herd  of  male  and 
female  felons  and  debtors.  Spirits  and  malt  liquors  were 
freely  circulated  through  the  prison,  without  restriction.  A 
low  typhoid  fever  was  constantly  prevalent  among  the 
prisoners,  and  the  most  shameless  extortion  and  robbery 
also  prevailed,  the  strong  over-coming  and  tyrannising  over 
the  weak.  The  debtors,  whose  rooms  overlooked  Prison 
Weint,  used  to  hang  out  bags  or  gloves  by  a  string,  with  a 
label  attached,  "  Pity  the  poor  debtors."  When  any  money 
was  placed  in  the  bag,  it  was  drawn  up  and  spent  in  drink. 


THE  SEVEN  YEARS'   WAR.  165 

On  the  1 2th  of  March,  1796,  died  Mrs.  Lyons,  wife  of  the 
keeper  of  the  gaol,  and  on  the  following  day  Mr.  Lyons 
died.  The  two  were  conveyed  to  the  churchyard  of  St. 
Peter,  in  two  hearses  abreast;  then  followed  one  mourning 
coach,  next  two  coaches  abreast,  and  then  two  more  coaches 
abreast.  Thousands  of  persons  gathered  in  the  streets  to 
witness  the  unusual  procession.  The  cause  of  death  in  both 
cases  was  said  to  be  gaol  fever. 

During  the  Seven  Years'  War,  the  celebrated  surgeon, 
Harry  Parke,  then  a  very  young  man,  attended  the  French 
prisoners  in  the  Tower  gaol,  and  in  after  years  he  per- 
formed the  first  operation  in  conservative  surgery,  at  the 
Liverpool  Infirmary,  on  a  poor  sailor,  who  was  subseqently 
able  to  follow  his  arduous  calling,  whereas,  if  he  had  fallen 
into  the  hands  of  an  ordinary  "sawbones"  of  the  period, 
he  would  have  lost  a  leg,  and  probably  his  life.  That 
pioneer  operation  conferred  countless  boons  on  humanity, 
and  the  name  of  Harry  Parke  stands  high  in  the  annals  of 
surgery.  In  excavating  the  foundations  of  the  first 
Exchange,  the  remains  of  a  secret  subterranean  passage 
were  discovered.  It  was  explored  for  a  considerable  dis- 
tance, and  stated  to  be  a  communication  between  the  Tower 
and  an  old  house  near  the  White  Cross,  which  stood  at  the 
top  of  Chapel  Street,  opposite  the  end  of  Old  Hall  Street. 
Although  the  discipline  of  the  prison  was  so  lax  that  some 
of  the  French  prisoners  occasionally  made  their  escape, 
it  does  not  appear  that  they  ever  discovered  this  passage, 
which  reminds  us  of  the  one  described  by  G.  P.  R.  James 
in  his  romance  of  "  Heidelberg."  Several  of  the  Jacobites 
implicated  in  the  Rebellion  of  1715  were  confined  in  the 
Tower,  and  four  of  them  were  executed  at  Callow's  Mill, 
near  London  Road.  In  1788,  two  men  were  hung  on  the 
top  of  the  Tower,  for  a  desperate  robbery  at  a  house  on 
Rose-hill.  The  old  Tower  continued  to  be  occupied  both 
by  felons  and  debtors  down  to  July,  1811.  It  remained 


166  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

unoccupied  until  1819,  when  the  building  was  pulled  down, 
and  the  materials  sold  by  auction  for  £200.  In  the  Derby 
Museum,  William  Brown  Street,  there  is  a  remnant  of  one 
of  the  old  doors  of  the  Tower. 

Having  formed  some  idea  of  the  kind  of  "hospitality" 
extended  to  the  French  captives  in  Liverpool,  we  now  turn 
our  attention  to  the  English  prisoners  of  war  in  France.  On 
November  3Oth,  1756,  the  master  of  a  merchant  vessel  wrote 
from  Bayonne,  as  follows  : — 

"  I  am  still  close  confined  in  this  prison,  as  are  all  our 
masters  and  men  without  distinction ;  our  usage  differs  nothing 
from  that  of  the  worst  criminals  in  England,  irons  only  excepted. 
No  one  is  permitted  to  speak  to  us  without  the  commandant's 
leave  ;  our  letters  are  all  opened  and  read  before  they  are 
delivered  to  us,  and  we  are  not  allowed  to  purchase  any 
provisions  or  necessaries  from  the  town's  people,  but  must 
take  every  thing  from  the  commandant's  mistress,  who 
charges  us  at  the  rate  of  two  shillings  for  what  she  buys 
in  the  town  for  sixpence.  The  French  commanders,  who 
are  prisoners  in  England,  write  to  their  friends  in  France 
that  they  are  close  confined  there,  which  is  the  reason  of 
our  confinement  here ;  but  you  informed  me  in  your  last 
that  they  were  all  at  liberty  at  Petersfield  and  other  places 
upon  their  parole  of  honour,  and  that  two  of  them,  with 
a  surgeon,  had  been  advertised  in  the  papers  for  running 
away.  It  is  evident  that  they  have  no  honour  at  all,  or 
they  would  not  have  deserted,  nor  have  propagated  such  a 
palpable  falsehood,  which  injures  us  here  extremely,  for  we 
humbly  conceive  we  are  entitled  by  the  law  of  nations  to 
the  same  good  usage  here  as  the  French  partake  of  in 
England,  and  as  this  is  a  national  concern,  it  ought  to  be 
truly  represented.  There  have  been  built  and  fitted  out  in 
this  port  within  these  three  months,  no  less  than  ten  pri- 
vateers, carrying  from  16  to  24  guns  upon  one  deck  ;  and 
if  there  is  not  a  cartel  of  exchange  settled  soon,  I  am  afraid 
that  many  of  our  common  sailors,  who  are  now  about  200 
prisoners  in  this  castle,  will  be  induced  by  threats  or  promises 


THE  SEVEN  YEARS'   WAR.  167 

to   take    on    in    the  enemy's   service,  where  they  are   offered 
great  encouragement. " 

In  January,  1759,  nine  English  captains,  who  had  been 
prisoners  in  France,  arrived  at  Plymouth,  and  their  treat- 
ment by  "the  polite  nation"  was  thus  described  in  the 
newspapers  :— 

"  Monsieur's  behaviour  was  most  barbarous  and  cruel ;  the 
most  brutal  savag-e  would  have  shown  more  compassion.  On 
their  first  entrance  on  board  their  ships  they  stript  them  of 
everything",  even  to  their  shirts  ;  as  to  the  common  people 
M.  Bompart  insisted  that  they  should  do  the  same  duty  as  on 
board  our  ships  of  war  ;  upon  refusal,  to  undergo  the  same 
discipline  and  live  on  bread  and  water  ;  but  as  they  did  the 
ship's  duty,  they  were  allowed  per  day  four  ounces  of  salt 
meat,  and  what  they  call  soup,  made  of  horse  beans  with 
common  oil.  The  several  captains  before  mentioned  were 
treated  in  the  same  manner.  On  their  arrival  at  Brest,  they 
were  all  put  down  in  a  dungeon  40  feet  under  ground,  and  not 
permitted  fire  or  candle,  though  they  often  petitioned  for  it, 
but  to  no  purpose  ;  they  had  straw  to  lie  upon,  but  were 
obliged  to  pay  dear  for  it.  As  to  the  provisions  allowed  them 
per  day,  it  was  three  ounces  of  poor  beef,  such  if  brought  to 
our  markets  would  be  burnt.  Several  of  the  gentlemen  have 
brought  over  the  allowance  with  them  of  every  species.  They 
were  indulged  with  three  half  pints  of  sour  white  wine  per  day, 
but  debarred  from  water,  which  if  sweet,  was  much  better  ; 
but  to  do  them  some  justice,  they  had  bread  sufficient.  What 
was  most  singular  is  that  they  were  debarred  of  laying  out 
their  own  money,  or  drawing  bills,  no  person  being  permitted 
to  come  near  them  ;  in  short,  by  the  report  that  several  of  the 
gentlemen  give,  they  were  treated  worse  than  we  treat  dogs, 
of  which  they  highly  complained  and  telling  them  how  the 
French  prisoners  were  used  in  England,  they  answered  '  that 
we  were  afraid  to  use  them  otherwise.'  At  their  arrival  at 
Vannes  they  were  put  amongst  common  felons,  who  were 
condemned  to  die,  in  a  most  nauseous  gaol.  The  case  of  poor 


168  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

Capt.  Gordon  and  his  ship's  company  is  a  most  deplorable 
one  ;  the  whole  crew  perished  in  the  French  ship  they  were 
taken  in,  she  being-  lost  on  some  rocks  near  the  shore  ;  the 
crew,  who  were  confined  in  irons,  were  by  the  French  captain 
called  English  dogs,  and  told  they  should  perish  as  such,  and 
would  not  suffer  a  man  to  let  them  out.  Their  behaviour  to 
Capt.  Turner  was  likewise  very  cruel,  and  to  the  English 
prisoners  in  general,  forcing  them  to  enter  into  their  service. 
This  can  never  go  unnoticed  by  those  in  power." 

A  gentleman  who  arrived  in  Liverpool  from  Dinan,  where 
he  had  been  confined  prisoner  of  war  several  months,  stated 
that  on  the  yth  of  June,  1758,  news  arrived  there  that  the 
English  had  landed.  All  the  English  prisoners,  numbering 
1300,  were  immediately  marched  from  thence  up  into  the 
country,  in  the  night  time,  guarded  by  a  troop  of  dragoons 
and  about  500  militiamen.  In  passing  through  the  villages, 
the  officers  and  soldiers  of  the  escort  showed  the  prisoners 
to  the  country  people  as  a  parcel  of  English  vagabonds 
caught  at  St.  Malo,  where  they  had  attempted  to  land  for 
the  purpose  of  plundering  the  country.  The  prisoners 
were  compelled  to  travel  22  hours  without  any  refreshment, 
save  a  little  dry  bread  and  small  cider  at  one  of  the  villages. 
At  the  small  town  of  Le  Mene  they  were  all  driven  into  a 
church,  without  distinction  of  rank,  and  given  some  hay  to 
lie  on.  ''Then  a  strange  thing  happened,"  as  the  novelists 
say.  St.  Vierge's  image  fixed  up  in  the  church,  tumbled 
down  and  broke  its  valuable  neck,  upon  which  some  of  the 
English  prisoners  were  clapped  into  a  dungeon,  "the  priests 
suspecting  that!  they  had  done  the  act  ;  however,  on  farther 
enquiry,  and  a  full  hearing,  they  were  discharged,  being 
proved  innocent."  Here,  they  were  joined  by  upwards  of 
100  more  prisoners  from  Lorient,  and  four  boys,  taken 
with  some  horses  belonging  to  the  English  train  of  artillery. 
After  a  rest  of  two  days,  they  were  marched  farther — to 
Ploermel,  "a  royal  town  or  city,"  from  whence,  after  a 


THE  SEVEN  YEARS'  WAR.  169 

day's  stay,  they  were  driven  like  sheep  to  Josselin,  where 
they  were  all  confined  in  an  old  palace  belonging  to  the 
Duke  of  Rohan,  and  it  was  some  days  before  the  officers 
among  the  prisoners  had  the  liberty  of  boarding  in  the 
town.  The  usage  of  the  governor  who  guarded  them  was 
intolerable.  Two  of  the  English  seamen  were  killed  and 
several  others  wounded  during  their  march.  The  French, 
believing  the  rumour  that  the  town  of  St.  Malo  had  been 
ransomed  for  a  sum  of  money,  were  in  a  state  of  consterna- 
tion. 

Advertisements  like  the  following  were  common  during 
war  time  :— - 

"  With  or  without  convoy  for  Jamaica,  and  will  sail  in  May 
from  Liverpool,  the  new  ship  Nancy,  Benjamin  Holland,  com- 
mander, burthen  500  tons  ;  carries  22  carriage  guns  of  nine  and 
six-pounders,  10  swivels,  and  70  men,  and  will  carry  a  Letter  of 
Marque." 

The  Nancy  was  ultimately  captured  by  the  French  on  her 
voyage  to  Jamaica.  The  name  of  Holland  is  still  associated 
with  the  commerce  of  Liverpool.  Here  is  another  advertise- 
ment, which  one  would  suppose,  at  first  sight,  reassuring 
to  poor  Jack  :— 

"  Merchants  and  Commanders  of  ships  may  be  furnished 
with  commissions  for  private  ships  of  war,  and  Letters  of 
Marque,  on  proper  security  given  not  to  molest  any  vessel  but 
of  the  nation  at  war  with  us.  Also  protections  for  Seamen, 
from  being-  imprest  by  any  of  His  Majesty's  ships,  on  the 
shortest  notice.  By  G.  Parker,  in  Castle  street." 

But  things  were  not  what  they  seemed  in  the  sailor's 
"  Psalm  of  Life,"  for  we  read  in  the  paper  of  June  2Qth,  1759, 
that  there  had  been  a  very  smart  press  that  week,  without 
any  regard  either  to  outward  or  homeward  bound  protections. 
It  was  said  to  be  the  hottest  press  throughout  the  nation 
that  had  been  known  since  the  commencement  of  the  war. 


170  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

The  consequences  of  taking  the  best  seamen  off  the  merchant- 
ships  were  often  most  disastrous  to  the  owners,  who,  how- 
ever, had  their  remedy  at  law.  In  an  action  tried  in  London 
this  year,  before  Chief  Justice  Willes  and  a  special  jury,  a 
Mr.  Nickelson,  of  Poole,  was  awarded  ,£1,000  damages  and 
costs,  against  Captain  Fortescue,  of  the  Prince  Edward 
man-of-war,  for  impressing  the  men  out  of  the  Thomas 
and  Elizabeth,  from  Newfoundland  to  Poole,  in  consequence 
of  which  the  said  ship  was  lost. 

The  Austin,  Captain  Holme,  on  her  passage  from  Liver- 
pool to  Barbadoes,  was  taken  and  carried  into  Martinico, 
after  a  running  fight  of  eight  hours,  by  a  schooner  privateer 
of  6  carriage  guns  and  10  swivels,  and  a  sloop  of  the  same 
armament.  The  Austin  was  condemned  at  Martinico,  and 
her  cargo,  etc.,  sold.  So  great  was  the  demand  for  guns  at 
that  place,  that  the  only  carriage  guns  she  carried  (2 
three-pounders)  were  sold  for  ^100.  The  French  had  then 
fitted  out  of  Martinico,  74  privateers,  the  largest  mounting 
10  guns,  and  the  smallest  only  two.  Some  of  the  owners  of 
the  privateers  had  entered  into  an  agreement  to  allow  all 
English  captains  taken  by  their  ships  two  dollars  per  day 
for  the  first  three  weeks  after  being  brought  into  port,  and 
afterwards  to  consign  them  to  the  king's  allowance,  which 
was  very  scanty,  owing  to  the  dearness  of  all  provisions. 
They  drew  their  chief  supply  from  St.  Eustatia,  from  whence 
several  vessels  arrived  with  Irish  provisions,  which  sold  for 
20  dollars  per  barrel.  Owing  to  the  number  of  American 
ships  captured,  Indian  corn  was  so  plentiful  that  the  French 
would  scarcely  hire  people  to  land  it.  After  a  stay  of  eight 
days  at  Martinico,  Captain  Holme  was  sent  up  to  Barbadoes 
in  a  cartel  ship,  and  returned  home  passenger  in  the  Merri- 
mack. 

The  Tyger,  Captain  Burrowes,  on  the  passage  from  Liver- 
pool to  Jamaica,  re-captured  the  Speedwell,  from  Virginia 
for  London,  which  had  been  taken  by  a  Bayonne  privateer. 


THE  SEVEN  YEARS'   WAR.  171 

The  prize  had  on  board,  315  hogsheads  of  tobacco,  7  barrels 
and  19  kegs  of  indigo,  15  tons  of  pig  iron,  and  4000  staves. 
On  January  8th,  1760,  the  George  and  Betty,  Captain 
Edward  McGill,  from  Liverpool  for  Jamaica,  was  taken  by  a 
French  privateer  of  10  guns  and  90  men,  after  a  chase  of  six 
hours,  and  carried  into  St.  Pierre,  Martinico. 

In  the  following  advertisement  we  have  a  description  of  a 
small  armed  merchantman  of  the  period,  the  kind  of  ship 
which,  when  manned  by  Liverpool  seamen,  was  generally 
found  to  be  a  very  "  ugly  customer  "  if  interfered  with  : — 

"  For  Sale  by  the  Candle,  at  R.  Williamson's  shop  near  the 
Exchange,  in  Liverpool.  On  Monday,  March  zoth,  1760,  the 
sale  to  begin  at  i  o'clock  at  noon  precisely,  the  Ship  Planter  ; 
burthen  about  200  tons,  square  sterned,  Lyon-head,  takes  the 
ground  well,  mounts  two  six-pounders  on  slides  in  the  cabin, 
three  new  four-pounders  on  deck,  four  swivels,  and  is  pierced 
for  16  carriage  guns,  being  deep  waisted  with  iron  stanchions 
and  double  netting  fore  and  aft,  and  suitable  for  the  African  or 
American  trade  ;  being  10  feet  deep  in  the  hold,  4  feet  9  inches 
between  decks,  from  the  mainmast  forward,  and  from  the  main- 
mast aft  6  feet  2  inches,  with  all  her  materials,  2  new  cables, 
one  new  anchor,  and  all  her  stores  as  she  arrived  lately  from 
London,  and  now  lies  at  the  upper  end  of  the  South  Dock. 
Inventories  to  be  had  of  Mr.  David  Kenyon,  merchant,  or 
Robert  Williamson,  Broker." 

In  May,  1760,  the  old  Eagle  snow,  the  oldest  ship  belong- 
ing to  the  port  of  Liverpool,  was  wrecked  near  the  Point  of 
Ayre,  Isle  of  Man,  on  her  passage  to  Guadaloupe. 

When  George  the  Third  ascended  the  throne  in  1760, 
Liverpool  had  surpassed  Bristol  in  tonnage,  and  had, 
therefore,  become  the  second  port  in  the  kingdom.  In 
this  year,  Samuel  Derrick,  master  of  the  ceremonies  at 
Bath,  visited  the  town.  Writing  to  his  friend,  the  Earl  of 
Cork,  he  says  :— 

"  When  the  famous  Thurot  was  in  the  Channel,  this  town 
expected  that  he  would  honour  them  with  a  visit,  and  they 


172  THE  LIVERPOOL   PRIVATEERS. 

made  good  preparation  to  receive  him.  The  ear  of  a 
bastion  was  run  out  at  the  main  dock  head  ;  the  walls  of  the 
Old  Churchyard,  under  which  he  must  have  passed  before  he 
came  abreast  of  the  town,  were  strengthened  with  stone 
buttresses  and  mounds  of  earth  ;  and  the  whole  furnished 
with  some  very  fine  eighteen  pounders,  which  were  so  dis- 
posed as  fully  to  command  the  river.  The  merchants  were 
regimented  under  the  command  of  the  Mayor,  as  colonel, 
divided  into  four  independent  companies,*  uniformly  clothed 
and  armed,  each  man  at  his  own  expense.  Besides,  Lord 
Scarborough  and  Major  Dashwood  marched  from  Manchester, 
at  the  head  of  the  Lincolnshire  militia,  upon  the  first  notice  of 
danger,  without  waiting  for  orders  from  above  ;  so  that  had 
this  bold  adventurer  presented  himself,  there  is  no  doubt  but 
he  would  have  been  opposed  with  a  true  British  spirit  of 
resolution  and  gallantry." 

In  another  letter,  he  says  :— 

"  I  need  not  inform  your  lordship  that  the  principal  exports 
of  Liverpool  are  all  kinds  of  woollen  and  worsted  goods,  with 
other  manufactures  of  Manchester  and  Sheffield  and  Birming- 
ham wares,  &c.  These  they  barter  on  the  coast  of  Guinea  for 
slaves,  gold-dust,  and  elephants'  teeth.  The  slaves  they  dis- 
pose of  at  Jamaica,  Barbadoes,  and  the  other  West  India  islands, 
for  rum  and  sugar,  for  which  they  are  sure  of  a  quick  sale  at 
home.  This  port  is  admirably  suited  for  trade,  being  almost 
central  in  the  Channel,  so  that,  in  war  time,  by  coming  north- 
about,  their  ships  have  a  good  chance  of  escaping  the  many 
privateers  belonging  to  the  enemy,  which  cruize  to  the  south- 
ward. Thus,  their  insurance  being  less,  they  are  able  to 

*  In  the  paper  of  March  I4th,  1760,  we  read  that:  — "  On  Tuesday  last  Col. 
Spencer's  (the  \layor,)  Capt.  William  Ingrain's,  and  Capt.  John  Tarleton's indepen- 
dent companies  of  this  town  were  reviewed  by  the  Right  Hon.  the  Earl  of 
Scarborough,  in  Price's  (now  Cleveland)  Square,  and  went  through  the  manual 
exercise,  platoon  and  street  firing,  etc.  The  companies  were  all  clothed  in  their 
new  uniforms  at  their  own  private  expense  ;  the  Colonel's  company  in  blue, 
lapelled  and  faced  with  buff;  Capt.  Ingrain's  in  scarlet  coats  and  breeches, 
lapelled  and  faced  with  green  ;  green  waistcoats,  gold  laced  hats  and  queue  wigs  ; 
and  Captain  Tarleton's  in  blue,  with  gold  vellum  button  holes  ;  Capt  Thomas 
Johnson's  company  of  the  train  of  artillery  wear  the  uniform  of  the  navy,  blue  and 
buff,  with  gold  laced  hats." 


THE  SEVEN  YEARS'   WAR.  173 

undersell  their  neighbours  ;  and  since  I  have  been  here,  I 
have  seen  enter  the  port,  in  one  morning,  seven  West  India 
ships,  whereof  five  were  not  insured." 

Whether  Liverpool  was  M.  Thurot's  object  is  uncertain, 
for  on  the  28th  February,  1760,  his  "best  laid  schemes" 
were  put  an  end  to  for  ever.  On  that  day  his  squadron  of 
frigates  was  brought  to  action  a  few  leagues  south  of  the 
Isle  of  Man,  by  a  squadron  of  English  frigates  under  the 
command  of  Captain  Elliott.  After  a  sanguinary  battle,  in 
which  the  French  fought  with  desperate  valour,  the  whole  of 
the  French  frigates  were  taken.  Captain  Thurot  fell  covered 
with  wounds  on  his  own  deck,  and  nearly  300  of  his  officers 
and  men  were  killed  or  wounded.  By  this  victory  Liverpool 
was  again  rendered  perfectly  safe,  but  the  volunteers  remained 
embodied  till  the  close  of  the  war.  The  threatened  attack  was 
doubtless  beneficial  to  the  community,  as  the  emergency 
brought  out  the  true  men,  and  aroused  to  action  the  finest 
qualities  of  the  Briton.*  On  the  very  day  Thurot  was 
slain, f  the  French  prisoners  confined  in  the  Tower  of 
Liverpool  were  marched  under  a  guard  of  "  Invalids"  for 
Chester  Castle.  They  were  brought  back  on  March  6th. 

The  following  interesting  account  of  Thurot's  descent 
upon  Islay  was  written  on  the  spot,  on  February  igth,  1760, 
by  Mr.  David  Simpson,  an  eye-witness,  and  forwarded 


*  When  Thurot's  expedition  was  expected,  in  1760,  it  was  said  that  Everton  Hill 
was  alive  with  people  from  the  town,  waiting  the  free-hooter's  approach.  A  party 
of  soldiers  was  then  encamped  on  the  hill,  and  I  have  been  told  the  men  had  orders, 
on  Thurot's  appearance,  to  make  signals  if  by  day,  and  to  light  up  the  Beacon  if  at 
night,  to  communicate  the  intelligence  of  the  French  fleet  being  off  the  coast  to  the 
other  beacons  at  Ashurst  and  Billinge.  Rivinjjton  Pike  and  elsewhere,  and  so  spread 
the  news  into  the  north;  while  signals  would  also  be  taken  up  at  Halton,  Beeston, 
Wrekin,  and  thence  to  the  southward.  The  most  perfect  arrangements  for  the 
transmission  of  this  intelligence  are  said  to  have  been  made,  and  I  knew  an  old 
man  at  Everton  who  told  me  that  he  had  on  that  occasion  carted  several  loads  of 
pitch-barrels  and  turpentine,  and  stored  them  in  the  upper  chamber  of  the  Beacon, 
to  be  ready  in  case  of  emergency.  He  said  that  during  the  French  war,  at  the 
close  of  the  reign  of  George  II.,  the  Beacon  was  filled  with  combustibles,  and  that 
there  was  a  guard  always  kept  therein.  — "  Recollections  of  a  Nonagenarian." 

t  Sir  James  Picton  gives  the  4th  of  March  as  the  date  of  Thurot's  death — a  curious 
mistake,  when  even  Gore's  Directory  sets  forth  the  true  date  so  conspicuously. 


174  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

express  to  a  Liverpool  merchant,  by  the  codsmack  belonging 
to  Captain  Hutchinson  and  his  partner,  Mr.  Ward  :— 

"  Saturday  last  Commodore  Thurot,  with  three  French 
ships,  viz.,  one  of  54  gams,  one  of  36,  and  one  of  20,  came  in 
here  from  the  westward,  and  betwixt  this  island  and  Cantyre 
they  were  hovering-  for  five  or  six  hours  ;  at  length  came  close 
to  this  land  and  hoisted  an  Eng-lish  ensign,  which  made  us 
imagine  they  wanted  a  pilot.  Your  friends  Archibald  and 
Hugh  Macdonald  went  out  with  a  boat  and  five  men,  and 
brought'  them  to  anchor  at  the  entry  of  the  Sound  of  Islay,  in 
Clagin  Bay.  I  was  there  on  Sunday  last,  where  they  landed 
about  600  men  in  order  to  plunder  the  country,  and  surrounded 
a  parcel  of  cattle  belonging  to  a  gentleman  of  the  place,  which 
they  carried  off,  and  they  said  would  be  paid  for  by  bill  on  the 
French  Ambassador  at  the  Hague.  Our  sloop  lay  in  a 
harbour  close  by  them  loaded  with  kelp  bound  to  Liverpool, 
and  had  21  bags  of  flour  on  board,  which  Thurot  likewise 
took  away,  but  did  no  other  prejudice  to  the  vessel.  They 
have  about  1,500  land  forces  on  board,  with  a  great  number 
of  officers,  mostly  gentlemen,  with  whom  I  was  in  com- 
pany. They  are  almost  starved  for  want  of  provisions, 
being  at  allowance  of  four  ounces  of  bread  per  day.  The 
land  officers  and  Thurot  have  disagreed  on  account  of  his 
coming  into  these  channels,  &c.,  and  they  want  him  to  proceed 
immediately  to  France.  Thurot's  vessel  the  Bellisle  is  very 
leaky.  I  send  you  now  by  the  bearer  one  of  the  swords  they 
left  on  board  my  sloop,  which  I  suppose  is  all  the  payment 
Mr.  MacDonald  and  I  shall  get  for  our  flour.  On  the  sword 
is  struck  the  words  Volontaire  de  Bellisle.  You'll  please  to 
return  it  when  the  bearer  comes  back  this  way.  Five  days 
before  the  French  put  in  here  they  parted  with  one  of  their 
comrades  off  Barrahead,  which  they  imagine  is  foundered 
at  sea,  or  driven  into  some  of  the  Highland  islands.  The 
Bellisle  broke  her  rudder,  which  he  told  me  forced  him  into 
these  channels.  I  have  been  these  two  days  last  past  ranging 
the  coast,  in  hopes  of  meeting  with  the  cod-smack  before,  in 
order  to  dispatch  her  express  to  England,  and  having  now 


THE  SEVEN  YEARS'  WAR,  175 

met  with  her,  immediately  send  her,  and  I  hope  you  and  the 
rest  of  the  merchants  of  your  place  will  satisfy  the  owners  of 
the  cod-smack  for  their  trouble.  One  of  our  50  gun  ships 
would  take  Thurot's  three  vessels,  the  Bellisle,  Blanque,  and 
Thurot,  for  they  are  crowded  with  men  so  much,  that  they  are 
scarce  able  to  fight  their  guns  ;  but  Mons.  Thurot  says  that  if 
he  once  gets  half  gunshot  from  the  best  ship  in  England,  he 
could  clear  himself  by  his  fast  sailing.  The  season  here  is 
very  rough  ;  but  Thurot  will  go  either  through  St.  George's 
Channel,  or  round  Ireland,  as  best  suits  him,  being  determined 
to  execute  his  original  scheme.  There  are  a  number  of  English 
and  Irish  amongst  his  crew.  We  have  sent  an  express  to 
Edinburgh  ;  however,  hope  the  cod-smack  will  bring  the  first 
intelligence  to  you.  We  are  deprived  of  the  use  of  arms  here, 
or  should  have  been  able  to  have  defended  our  country  from 
being  plundered.  The  ships  lay  close  inshore  between  Mr. 
Arthur's  head  and  Ardmore  point ;  and  you  may  depend  on 
this  relation,  as  I  was  eyewitness  to  the  facts  here." 

We  have  now  arrived  at  the  end  of  the  Seven  Years'  War, 
and  naturally  pause  to  ask  ourselves  if  privateering  paid? 
On  this  point  Sir  James  Picton  observes  :— 

"  It  has  been  sometimes  asserted  that  the  merchants  of 
Liverpool  greatly  enriched  themselves  in  the  last  century  by 
the  practice  of  privateering.  At  a  subsequent  period  there 
were  a  few  exceptional  instances  of  this,  but  during  the  Seven 
Years'  War  the  results  to  the  Liverpool  merchants  were  most 
disastrous.  From  a  list  published  in  July,  1760,  it  appears 
that  in  four  years  from  the  commencement  of  the  war  there 
had  been  taken  by  the  French,  of  vessels  belonging  t)  Liverpool 
alone,  the  number  of  143,  or  36  in  each  year.  The  tonnage  is 
not  given  ;  but  as  they  were  all  sea-going  vessels,  principally 
in  the  West  India  and  American  trades,  the  losses  must  have 
been  enormous." 

We  have  searched  diligently  for  the  list  in  question,  but 
failed  to  find  it.  Its  discovery  would  have  saved  us  the 
great  trouble  of  compiling  an  independent  list,  which 


176  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

will  be  found  in  the  appendix,  and  which  is  incomplete, 
owing  to  certain  issues  of  the  newspapers  being  missing. 
It  tends  to  confirm  the  statement  referred  to  by  Sir  James 
Picton  as  to  the  number  of  vessels  taken,  but  he  might 
have  added  that  probably  one-third  of  the  captured  ships 
were  slavers,  a  fact  which  added  enormously  to  the  losses, 
each,  slave  ship  representing  three  distinct  sources  of  profit 
in  a  single  round  voyage.  But  we  must  bear  in  mind  that 
but  for  the  activity  of  the  Liverpool  privateers,  these 
losses  would  have  been  greater.  Every  prize  they  made 
rendered  the  enemy  poorer,  and  reduced  the  aggregate  loss 
to  the  port.  To  put  an  extreme  case  :  if  all  the  merchant 
vessels  of  Liverpool  had  been  captured  by  the  enemy,  and  a 
single  Liverpool  privateer  had  been  fitted  out,  sent  to  sea, 
and  returned  with  a  single  prize  of  more  than  her  own 
value,  privateering  in  that  case  must  have  been  held  to  pay, 
for  without  that  prize  the  port  would  have  been  the  poorer. 
Assuming  the  prize  to  be  an  enemy's  privateer,  the  gain 
would  be  even  greater,  for  the  destructive  power  of  the 
enemy  was  thereby  reduced,  and  consequently  a  certain 
number  of  British  ships  saved  from  capture  by  that  privateer, 
whose  guns  might  at  once  be  turned  against  the  commerce 
of  the  enemy.  If  the  commerce  of  Liverpool  suffered  so 
heavily  during  this  war,  while  she  had  a  gallant  little  fleet 
of  privateers  scouring  the  seas,  harassing  the  enemy,  and 
bringing  in  valuable  prizes,  how  much  greater  would  have 
been  the  losses  if  the  privateers  had  not  been  sent  out  at  all ! 
But  those  who  concede  that  privateering  benefited  the  town 
materially,  may  contend  that  it  damaged  the  people  morally. 
On  this  head,  Sir  James  Picton,  whose  moral  sentiments  are 
always  admirable,  says:— 

"The  pursuits  of  the  Liverpool  Merchants  during  a  great 
part  of  the  eighteenth  century,  will  not  bear  very  severe  scrutiny 
in  a  moral  point  of  view,  taking  the  standpoint  of  the  present 
day.  The  practice  of  privateering  could  not  but  blunt  the 


THE  SEVEN  YEARS'   WAR.  177 

feelings  of  humanity  of  those  engaged  in  it,  combining,  as 
it  did  the  greed  of  the  gambler  with  the  ferocity  of  the 
pirate.  War  is  hateful  in  any  form,  but  undertaken  by 
a  nation  with  the  discipline  and  courtesies  of  a  regular 
force,  it  assumes  an  amount  of  dignity  which  hides  to 
some  extent  its  harsher  features  ;  whilst  marauding  expedi- 
tions undertaken  by  private  parties  combine  all  the  evils 
without  any  of  the  heroism  of  war;  greed  is  the  motive 
power,  and  robbery  and  murder  the  means  of  its  gratifica- 
tion. Its  influence  on  the  community  which  encourages  it 
cannot  but  be  deleterious." 

With  these  sentiments  theoretically  considered,  we  must 
coincide  in  the  words  of  Artemus  Ward,  "too  true,  too  true," 
and  President  Kruger  might  even  endorse  the  last  clause  as 
a  prophetic  utterance,  but  the  fact  is,  the  moral  condition 
of  Liverpool  in  the  eighteenth  century  was  such  that 
privateering,  as  carried  on  by  Hutchinson  and  the  other 
commanders  of  whom  we  have  spoken,  was  more  likely  to 
elevate  than  lower  the  people.  It  is  clear  from  the  writings 
of  John  Newton,  Gilbert  Wakefield,  Goronwy  Owen  and 
others,  that  the  standard  of  morality  was  so  low  in  Liverpool, 
that  even  the  introduction  of  piracy  itself  into  the  Mersey, 
as  a  fine  art,  would  not  have  perceptibly  altered  the 
manners  and  morals  of  the  masses  during  the  first  half  of  the 
eighteenth  century  ;  and  Mr.  Clarkson's  experiences  in  the 
town,  at  a  much  later  period,  prove  that  there  was  more 
room  for  improvement  than  for  deterioration.  On  the 
other  hand,  there  were  sentiments  and  qualities  evoked  and 
developed  in  connection  with  privateering,  that  tended  to 
raise  those  who  had  fallen  to  the  lowest  depths.  To  be  fired 
with  enthusiasm,  to  cruise  about  the  seas  in  "  great  spirits," 
replying  to  the  enemy's  remarks  with  "  three  cheers  "  and 
hot  broadsides,  to  face  death  manfully  "for  the  honour  of 
Liverpool,"  and  even  for  pelf,  if  not  for  King  and  country, 

must  have  done  good  to  many  a  bankrupt  soul  and  pocket, 
M 


1 78  THE  LI  VERPOOL  PRIVA  TEERS. 

and  could  scarcely  deteriorate  the  men  who  embarked  upon 
such  work — 

"  As  full  of  peril  and  adventurous  spirit 
As  to  o'er-walk  a  current  roaring-  loud 
On  the  unsteadfast  footing-  of  a  spear." 

As  to  the  moral  effect  of  privateering  upon  the  merchants 
themselves,  we  fail  to  discern  any  signs  of  the  greed  of  the 
gambler,  or  the  ferocity  of  the  pirate,  in  the  instructions 
given  by  Mr.  Francis  Ingram  to  Captain  Haslam — which 
instructions,  be  it  remembered,  were  private,  and  are  now 
first  made  public.*  Whatever  atrocities  may  have  been 
committed  by  the  privateers  of  other  nations,  or  of  other 
ports,  or  by  pirates  in  the  name  of  privateers,  we  cannot 
call  to  mind  a  single  action  committed  by  any  Liverpool 
privateer  unworthy  of  its  character  as  a  private  ship  of  war 
carrying  the  King's  commission. 


See  Chapter  I.,  pp.  21-30. 


179 


CHAPTER    IV. 
PRIVATEERS  OF  THE  AMERICAN  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE. 

DURING  the  twelve  years  of  peace  which  intervened  between 
the  Seven  Years'  War  and  the  first  American  war,  the 
commerce  and  wealth  of  Liverpool  increased  more  rapidly 
than  they  had  ever  done  before.  Liverpool  had  taken  the 
lead  of  all  the  seaports  of  the  empire  in  the  American  and 
the  African  trades,  and  also  possessed  a  large  share  in  the 
trade  of  the  West  Indies;  the  two  latter  branches  of  com- 
merce being  too  frequently  cemented  with  the  blood  of 
slaves.  As  the  pressure  of  the  wars  with  France  and  the 
continental  powers  fell  with  greater  severity  on  the  com- 
merce of  London,  Hull,  and  even  Bristol,  than  on  that  of 
Liverpool,  owing  to  their  geographical  position  and  their 
greater  commercial  intercourse  with  Europe,  so  the  com- 
mercial ruin  caused  by  the  first  and  second  war  with 
America  fell  more  severely  on  Liverpool  than  on  any  other 
port,  owing  to  the  extent  of  its  American  and  West  Indian 
connections. 

The  American  War  of  Independence  opened  a  new 
chapter  in  the  world's  history.  The  obstinacy  and  imbecility 
of  George  III.,  and  the  despotic  instigations  of  his  consort, 
Queen  Charlotte,  forced  the  descendants  of  the  "  Men  of  the 
Mayflower"  to  teach  tyrants  for  all  time  the  lesson  that  the 
subject  as  well  as  the  king  had  a  divine  right.  It  was  the 
privilege  of  the  freedom-loving  British  colonists  in  North 
America,  to  fix  the  attention  of  the  whole  civilised  world 


180  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

upon  a  maxim  which  it  had  taken  ages  of  social  misery  and 
oppression  to  evolve — "Taxation  without  Representation  is 
Tyranny."  The  world  has  never  ceased  to  wonder  at  the 
crass  stupidity  which  converted  loyal  colonists  into  rebels, 
but  it  is  not  necessary  here  to  review  the  causes  that  led  up 
to  hostilities.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  the  first  blood  in  the 
fratricidal  conflict  was  spilt  at  Lexington,  in  April,  1775. 
On  the  4th  of  July,  1776,  thirteen  of  the  colonies  declared 
themselves  independent  of  Great  Britain.  In  1778,  France 
acknowledged  the  independence  of  America,  and  declared 
war  against  England.  War  with  Spain  commenced  on  the 
i7th  of  April,  1780,  and  with  Holland  on  the  2ist  of 
December,  1780.  This  desperate  and  wide  spreading  contest 
with  America,  France,  Spain  and  Holland,  continued  to  the 
year  1783,  when  Great  Britain  finding  the  attempt  to  subdue 
her  late  colonies  hopeless — the  people  at  home  being  by 
this  time  disgusted  with  the  folly  of  their  rulers — abandoned 
the  attempt,  acknowledged  their  independence,  and  made 
peace  with  their  allies. 

In  January,  1775,  prior  to  the  affair  at  Lexington,  an 
influential  meeting  of  merchants  from  all  parts  of  the 
kingdom  trading  with  America,  was  held  at  the  King's 
Tavern,  Cornhill,  London,  to  protest  against  the  violent 
proceedings  of  the  government  towards  the  colonists,  and 
to  petition  for  the  repeal  of  all  the  acts  which  interfered 
with  their  friendly  relations  towards  the  mother  country. 
The  West  India  merchants  from  Liverpool  and  other  towns, 
also  assembled  at  the  London  Tavern  for  the  same  purpose, 
when  strong  resolutions  were  carried  by  a  large  majority. 
These  remonstrances  proved  fruitless,  and  we  search  in 
vain  for  one  conciliatory  sentence  from  the  British  Govern- 
ment at  this  time.  Within  a  month  afterwards,  8000  tons 
of  shipping  had  to  return  from  America  without  cargoes, 
the  blockade  not  allowing  them  to  land.  Whatever  the 
great  body  of  merchants  thought  of  the  turn  affairs  had 


AMERICAN  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE.  181 

taken,  the  wiseacres  of  the  Liverpool  Common  Council,  on 
the  nth  of  September,  1775,  presented  a  loyal  address  to 
the  King,  expressing  their  "abhorrence  of  all  traitorous  and 
rebellious  disturbers  of  his  Majesty's  peace  and  government, 
and  hoping  that  the  rebellious  Americans  might  soon  be 
sensible  of  their  error,  and  return  to  an  acknowledgment  of 
the  power  of  the  British  Legislature  " — a  very  pretty  and 
appropriate  sentiment  coming  from  such  a  quarter.  Liver- 
pool soon  began  to  feel  the  effects  of  the  war.  A  writer  in 
the  Liverpool  General  Advertiser,  of  the  2Qth  September, 
1775,  says — "Our  once  extensive  trade  to  Africa  is  at  a 
stand  ;  all  commerce  with  America  is  at  an  end.  Peace, 
harmony,  and  mutual  confidence  must  constitute  the  balm 
that  can  again  restore  to  health  the  body  politic.  Survey 
our  docks  ;  count  there  the  gallant  ships  laid  up  and  useless. 
When  will  they  be  again  refitted?  What  become  of  the 
sailor,  the  tradesman,  the  poor  labourer,  during  the 
approaching  winter?"  London  also  suffered  heavily,  for  in 
November,  1775,  it  was  announced  that  600  vessels  formerly 
employed  in  the  trade  with  America,  were  lying  idle  in  the 
Thames.  As  early  as  February,  1776,  only  seven  vessels 
entered  at  the  London  Custom  House  in  a  whole  week  ;  a 
circumstance  not  known  before  for  40  years. 

In  the  Autumn  of  1775,  the  Americans  began  to  fit  out 
privateers  at  Philadelphia  and  other  ports.  In  January  1 776, 
it  was  announced  that  there  were  American  privateers  in  all 
parts  of  the  Atlantic,  and  very  soon  they  swarmed  round 
every  one  of  the  West  India  islands.  Meanwhile  the  King's 
cruisers  were  not  idle.  In  the  first  half  of  the  year  1776,  they 
captured  seventy-two  American  vessels.  Thus  the  energies 
of  the  two  nations  were  turned  to  the  destruction  of  commerce 
with  terrible  effect.  The  foreign  trade  of  Liverpool  rapidly 
declined,  until  it  sank  to  a  small  part  of  what  it  had  been 
before  the  war.  There  were  at  that  time  170  American 
cruisers  at  sea.  Amongst  other  prizes,  they  took  23  valuable 


182  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

West  Indiamen  in  the  summer  of  1776.*  In  the  paper  of 
September  6th,  1776,  we  find  the  following  remarkable  state- 
ment put  forth  with  the  evident  intention  of  minimising  the 
importance  of  the  American  successes  : — 

"  As  we  daily  read  of  many  rich  vessels  taken  by  the 
American  privateers,  it  may  not  be  disagreeable  to  acquaint  the 
friends  of  Old  England  with  two  essential  circumstances  ;  first 
that  some  of  the  rich  vessels  taken  from  vis  by  the  rebels  have 
no  existence  whatever  but  in  the  newspapers  ;  and  secondly, 
that  the  principal  part  of  the  rest  go  out  with  the  professed 
view  of  falling1  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy.  To  elucidate  this 
point  we  must  observe  that  the  Saints  are  in  great  distress  for 
numberless  articles  which  they  cannot  procure  openly  from 
England,  as  all  commerce  with  them  is  prohibited  by  Parliament, 
and  punishable  as  high  treason.  Under  these  circumstances, 
therefore,  directions  are  privately  issued  to  their  adherents  in 
such  of  the  British  ports  as  are  most  conveniently  situated,  to 
fit  out  large  ships  with  the  commodities  particularly  wanted. 
This  is  accordingly  done,  and  the  vessels  sail  to  a  given  latitude 
under  the  plausible  pretext  of  bearing  to  some  well  affected  part 
of  America.  When  they  arrive  at  the  given  latitude,  however, 
provincial  privateers  are  in  readiness  to  seize  them,  and  they 
strike  without  a  blow,  well  knowing  that  their  owners  are  to  be 
amply  indemnified  for  the  utmost  loss  which  they  may  seemingly 
sustain  in  this  imaginary  capture." 

It  is  a  remarkable  fact  that  during  the  early  part  of  the 
war,  while  hostilities  were  confined  to  the  two  principal 
belligerents — the  mother  country  and  her  rebellious  children 
— the  merchants  of  Liverpool  did  not  enter  into  privateering 
with  the  spirit  that  had  distinguished  them  in  former  wars. f 

*  The  Virginia  Gazette  of  June  2ist,  1776,  gives  the  following  statement  of  the 
carg  es  of  certain  West  Indiamen  taken  by  the  American  privateers,  \iz.,  22,420 
dollars,  187  oz.  of  plate,  1,052  hogsheads  c,f  sugar,  213  puncheons  of  rum,  70  pipes 
of  old  Madeira,  246  l>ags  of  pimento,  396  \  ags  of  ginger,  568  hide*,  25  tons  of 
cocoa,  41  tons  of  fustic,  one  cask  of  tortoise  s-hell.  The  owners  of  the  privateers 
aie  sfid  to  have  >haied  ^5,000  each,  and  each  sailor  ^500. 

t  The  British  Government  appears  to  have  contributed  to  this  remarkable  for- 
bearance I  y  its  tardiness  in  issuing  Letters  of  Marque.  "  In  last  Tuesday's  Gazette" 
says  the  paper  of  April  nth,  1777,  "the  Lords  of  the  Admiralty  give  notice  that  they 
are  ready  to  issue  commissions  to  private  ships  for  cruising  against  the  Americans." 


AMERICAN  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE.  183 

Perhaps  they  felt  reluctant  to  fight  and  plunder  their  former 
customers,  men  of  their  own  race  and  speech,  and  in  many 
cases,  most  likely,  their  own  personal  friends  and  corre- 
spondents ;  or  they  may  have  considered  the  game  not 
worth  the  candle,  the  sea-borne  commerce  of  the  colonies 
being  too  insignificant  to  supply  remunerative  prizes  for  the 
King's  cruisers  and  privateers  combined.  As  soon  as  the 
French  and  Spaniards  joined  the  Americans,  however, 
Liverpool  enterprise  awoke  like  a  giant  from  a  dream,  and 
put  forth  its  strength  as  the  fathers  had  done,  and  on  a  much 
vaster  scale,  as  became  the  second  seaport  of  the  empire. 
Once  more  visions  of  valuable  French  East  Indiamen,  and 
treasure-laden  argosies  of  Spain,  dazzled  the  imagination  of 
those  who  coveted  easily  acquired  fortunes.  The  slave 
ships  were  lying  idle  in  the  docks,  the  war  having  almost 
ruined  the  man  traffic,  to  the  great  grief  and  pecuniary  loss 
of  many  excellent  citizens  of  Liverpool  and  their  friends — 
certain  native  chiefs  on  the  coast  of  Africa.  Those  vessels 
that  could  not  be  profitably  employed  in  the  slave  trade  were 
easily  converted  into  privateers,  and  so  great  was  the  energy 
displayed  in  their  equipment,  that,  between  the  end  of 
August,  1778,  and  April,  1779,  no  less  than  120  private  ships 
of  war  were  fitted  out.*  Their  total  tonnage  was  30,787, 
carrying  1986  guns,  and  8754  men.  The  largest  of  these 
ships  was  a  frigate  of  30  nine-pounders  ;  that  of  the 
heaviest  metal  carried  16  eighteen-pounders  ;  the  other 
vessels  were  mostly  armed  with  six  and  nine-pounders. 
The  number  of  men  forming  the  crews  varied  considerably 
in  the  different  vessels,  a  ship  of  250  tons  burthen  carrying 
140  men,  while  a  ship  of  1200  or  1400  tons  carried  only  100 
men.  "This  formidable  armament,"  says  Troughton, 
"  proved  a  considerable  annoyance  to  the  hostile  powers, 
and  captured  several  French  ships  from  the  East  and  West 

*  A   list   of  the  Liverpool  privateers  engaged   in  this   war  is  supplied  in  the 
appendix. 


184  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

Indies,  of  such  immense  value,  as  enabled  the  merchants  of 
Liverpool  not  only  to  restore  their  credit  and  extend  their 
commerce,  but  to  trade  upon  real  capital."  Dr.  Aikin,  in 
his  description  of  the  country  round  Manchester,  says, 
"  Liverpool  has  in  different  wars  distinguished  itself  by  the 
spirit  with  which  it  has  fitted  out  armed  ships  for  the  purpose 
of  annoying  the  trade  of  the  enemy.  How  far  this  is  a 
useful  spirit  to  a  trading  town,  and  in  what  degree  the  prizes 
made  have  exceeded  or  fallen  short  of  the  expenses  of  the 
outfits,  we  shall  not  inquire.  Some  of  the  prizes  taken  by 
the  Liverpool  privateers  were  of  very  great  value  ;  and  their 
effect  in  cutting  off  the  resources  of  the  hostile  powers  were 
very  considerable."  "The  undaunted  courage  and  gallantry 
of  the  crews  of  both  the  privateers  and  armed  merchant 
vessels  of  Liverpool,"  says  Brooke,  "command  our  applause, 
and  on  numerous  occasions  excited  the  admiration  of  the 
enemy."  Sir  James  Picton,  referring  to  this  period, 
observes,  "  there  were  two  blots  on  the  fair  fame  of  Liver- 
pool commerce  which  could  not  but  have  a  demoralising 
tendency  on  society  generally.  I  allude  to  privateering  and 
the  slave  trade.  .  .  Privateering,  though  practised  to  a 
considerable  extent,  was  in  private  hands,  and  did  not  come 
within  the  purview  of  the  Corporation,  hence  there  is  no 
allusion  to  it  in  the  records."  Although  it  is  generally  held 
that  a  corporation  has  neither  a  soul  to  be  lost  nor  a 
corporeal  presence  sufficiently  tangible  and  "get-at-able"  to 
receive  castigation,  one  feels  that  it  would  have  been  morally 
to  its  advantage  if  the  Corporation  had  had  more  to  do  with 
privateering  and  less  with  slave  trading. 

The  following  description  of  the  launching  of  the  Mary 
Ellen,  a  ship  which  played  the  double  part  of  slaver  and 
privateer,  is  from  the  pen  of  "  A  Nonagenarian  "  : — 

"  My  father  was  owner  and  commander  of  the  Mary  Ellen. 
She  was  launched  on  the  4th  of  June,  my  birthday,  and  also 
the  anniversary  of  our  revered  sovereign,  George  III.  We 


AMERICAN  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE.  185 

used  to  keep  his  majesty's  birthday  in  great  style.  The  bells 
were  set  ringing,  cannon  fired,  colours  waved  in  the  wind,  and 
all  the  schools  had  holiday.  We  don't  love  the  Gracious 
Lady  who  presides  over  our  destinies  less  than  we  did  her 
august  grandfather,  but  I  am  sure  we  do  not  keep  her 
birthday  as  we  did  his.  The  Mary  Ellen  was  launched  on 
the  4th  of  June,  1775.  She  was  named  after  and  by  my 
mother.  The  launch  of  this  ship  is  about  the  first  thing  I  can 
remember.  The  day's  proceedings  are  indelibly  fixed  upon  my 
memory.  We  went  down  to  the  place  where  the  ship  was 
built,  accompanied  by  our  friends.  We  made  quite  a  little 
procession,  headed  by  a  drum  and  fife.  My  father  and  mother 
walked  first,  leading  me  by  the  hand.  I  had  new  clothes  on, 
and  I  firmly  believed  that  the  joy  bells  were  ringing  solely 
because  our  ship  was  to  be  launched.  The  Mary  Ellen  was 
launched  from  a  piece  of  open  ground  just  beyond  the  present 
Salthouse  Dock,  then  called  'the  South  Dock.'  I  suppose 
the  exact  place  would  be  somewhere  about  the  middle  of  the 
present  King's  Dock.  The  bank  on  which  the  ship  was  built 
sloped  down  to  the  river.  There  was  a  slight  boarding  round 
her.  There  were  several  other  ships  and  smaller  vessels 
building  near  her  ;  amongst  others,  a  frigate  which  afterwards 
did  great  damage  to  the  enemy  during  the  French  war.  The 
g-overnment  frequently  gave  orders  for  ships  to  be  built  at 
Liverpool.  The  view  up  the  river  was  very  fine.  There  were 
few  houses  to  be  seen  southward.  The  mills  on  the  Aigburth 
road  were  the  principal  objects. 

"It  was  a  pretty  sight  to  see  the  Mary  Ellen  launched. 
There  were  crowds  of  people  present,  for  my  father  was  well- 
known  and  very  popular.  When  the  ship  moved  off  there  was 
a  great  cheer  raised.  I  was  so  excited  at  the  great  '  splash  ' 
which  was  made,  that  I  cried,  and  was  for  a  time  inconsolable, 
because  they  would  not  launch  the  ship  again,  so  that  I  might 
witness  another  great  '  splash.'  I  can,  in  my  mind's  eye,  see 
the  '  splash  '  of  the  Mary  Ellen  even  now.  I  really  believe  the 
displacement  of  the  water  on  that  occasion  opened  the  doors 
of  observation  in  my  mind.  After  the  launch  there  was  great 


186  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

festivity  and  hilarity.  I  believe  I  made  myself  very  ill  with  the 
quantity  of  fruit  and  g-ood  thing's  I  became  possessed  of. 
While  the  Mary  Ellen  was  fitting-  up  for  sea,  I  was  often 
taken  on  board.  In  her  hold  were  long-  shelves,  with  ring 
bolts  in  rows  in  several  places.  I  used  to  run  along-  these 
shelves  little  thinking-  what  dreadful  scenes  would  be  enacted 
upon  them.  The  fact  is  that  the  Mary  Ellen  was  destined 
for  the  African  trade,  in  which  she  made  many  very  suc- 
cessful voyag-es.  In  1779,  however,  she  was  converted 
into  a  privateer.  My  father,  at  the  present  time,  would 
not  perhaps  be  thoug-ht  very  respectable  ;  but  I  assure 
you  he  was  so  considered  in  those  days.  So  many  people 
in  Liverpool  were,  to  use  an  old  and  trite  sea  phrase,  '  tarred 
with  the  same  brush,'  that  these  occupations  were  scarcely, 
indeed  were  not  at  all,  regarded  as  derogatory  to  a  man's 
character.  In  fact,  during  the  privateering  time,  there  was 
scarcely  a  man,  woman,  or  child  in  Liverpool,  of  any  standing, 
that  did  not  hold  a  share  in  one  of  these  ships.  Although  a 
slave  captain,  and  afterwards  a  privateer,  my  father  was  a 
kind  and  just  man — a  good  father,  husband,  and  friend.  His 
purse  and  advice  were  always  ready  to  help  and  save,  and  he 
was,  consequently,  much  respected  by  the  merchants  with 
whom  he  had  intercourse.  I  have  been  told  that  he  was  quite 
a  different  man  at  sea,  that  there  he  was  harsh,  unbending, 
and  stern,  but  still  just.  How  he  used  to  rule  the  turbulent 
spirits  of  his  crews  I  don't  know,  but  certain  it  is  that  he 
never  wanted  men  when  other  Liverpool  shipowners  were  short 
of  hands.  Many  of  his  seamen  sailed  voyage  after  voyage 
with  him.  It  was  these  old  hands  that  were  attached  to  him 
who  I  suspect  kept  the  others  in  subjection.  The  men  used  to 
make  much  of  me.  They  made  me  little  sea  toys,  and  always 
brought  my  mother  and  myself  presents  from  Africa,  such  as 
parrots,  monkeys,  shells,  and  articles  of  the  natives'  work- 
manship. I  recollect  very  well,  after  the  Mary  Ellen  had  been 
converted  into  a  privateer,  that,  on  her  return  from  a  successful 
West  Indian  cruise,  the  mate  of  the  ship,  a  great  big  fellow, 
named  Blake,  and  who  was  one  of  the  roughest  and  most 


AMERICAN  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE.          187 

ungainly  men  ever  seen,  would  insist  upon  my  mother  accepting 
a  beautiful  chain,  of  Indian  workmanship,  to  which  was 
attached  the  miniature  of  a  very  lovely  woman.  I  doubt  the 
rascal  did  not  come  by  it  very  honestly,  neither  was  a  costly 
bracelet  that  one  of  my  father's  best  hands  (once  a  Northwich 
salt-flatman)  brought  home  for  my  baby  sister.  This  man 
would  insist  upon  putting  it  on  the  baby  somewhere,  in  spite 
of  all  my  mother  and  the  nurse  could  say  ;  so,  as  its  thigh  xvas 
the  nearest  approach  to  the  bracelet  in  size  of  any  of  its  little 
limbs,  there  the  bracelet  was  clasped.  It  fitted  tightly  and 
baby  evidently  did  not  approve  of  the  ornament.  My  mother 
took  it  off  when  the  man  left.  I  have  it  now.  This  man  used 
to  tell  queer  stories  about  the  salt  trade,  and  the  fortunes 
made  therein,  and  how  they  used  to  land  salt  on  stormy  and 
dark  nights  on  the  Cheshire  or  Lancashire  borders,  or  into 
boats  alongside,  substituting  the  same  weight  of  water  as  the 
salt  taken  out,  so  that  the  cargo  should  pass  muster  at  the 
Liverpool  Custom  House.  The  duty  was  payable  at  the  works, 
and  the  cargo  was  re-weighed  in  Liverpool.  If  found  over- 
weight the  merchant  had  to  pay  extra  duty ;  and  if  short 
weight,  he  had  to  make  up  the  deficiency  in  salt.  The  trade 
required  a  large  capital  and  was  therefore  in  few  hands.  One 
house  is  known  to  have  paid  as  much  as  ^30,000  for  duty  in 
six  weeks.  .  .  .  To  return  to  the  launch.  After  the 
feasting  was  over,  my  father  treated  our  friends  to  the  White 
House  and  Ranelagh  Tea  Gardens,  which  stood  at  the  top  of 
Ranelagh-St.  The  gardens  extended  a  long  way  back. 
Warren-St.  is  formed  out  of  them. 

"  As  a  young  boy  and  an  old  man  I  have  seen  my  native 
town  under  two  very  diverse  aspects.  As  a  boy,  I  have 
seen  it  ranked  only  as  a  third-rate  seaport.  Its  streets 
tortuous  and  narrow,  with  pavements  in  the  middle,  skirted 
by  mud  or  dirt  as  the  season  happened.  The  sidewalks 
rough  with  sharp-pointed  stones,  that  made  it  misery  to  walk 
upon  them.  I  have  seen  houses,  with  little  low  rooms, 
suffice  for  the  dwelling  of  the  merchant  or  well-to-do  trader 
—the  first  being  content  to  live  in  Water-St.  or  Oldhall- 


188  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

St.,  while  the  latter  had  no  idea  of  leaving-  his  little  shop, 
with  its  bay  or  square  window,  to  take  care  of  itself  at  nig-ht. 
I  have  seen  Liverpool  streets  with  scarcely  a  coach  or  vehicle 
in  them,  save  such  as  trade  required,  and  the  most  enlightened 
of  its  inhabitants,  at  that  time,  could  not  boast  of  much 
intelligence,  while  those  who  constituted  its  lower  orders  were 
plunged  in  the  deepest  vice,  ignorance,  and  brutality. 

"  But  we  should  not  judge  too  harshly  of  those  who  have 
gone  before  us.  Of  the  sea  savouring  greatly  were  the  friends 
and  acquaintances  of  my  youth.  Scarcely  a  town  by  the 
margin  of  the  ocean  could  be  more  salt  in  its  people  than  the 
men  of  Liverpool  of  the  last  century  ;  so  barbarous  were  they 
in  their  amusements,  bullbaitings,  and  cock  and  dog  fightings, 
and  pugilistic  encounters.  What  could  we  expect  when  we 
opened  no  book  to  the  young,  and  employed  no  means  of 
imparting  knowledge  to  the  old  ? — deriving  our  prosperity 
from  two  great  sources — the  slave  trade  and  privateering. 
What  could  we  expect  but  the  results  we  have  witnessed  ? 
Swarming  with  sailormen  flushed  with  prize  money,  was  it 
not  likely  that  the  inhabitants  generally  would  take  a  tone 
from  what  they  daily  beheld  and  quietly  countenanced  ?  Have 
we  not  seen  the  father  investing  small  sums  in  some  gallant 
ship  fitting  out  for  the  West  Indies  or  the  Spanish  Main  in  the 
names  of  each  of  his  children,  girls  and  boys  ?  Was  it  not 
natural  that  they  should  go  down  to  the  "  Old  Dock"  or  the 
"  Salthouse,"  or  the  ".New  Dock"  and  there  be  gratified  with 
a  sight  of  a  ship  of  which  they — little  folks  as  they  were — were 
still  part  owners  ?  We  took  them  on  deck  and  showed  them 
where  a  bloody  battle  had  been  fought — on  the  very  deck  and 
spot  on  which  their  little  feet  pattered  about.  And  did  we  not 
show  them  the  very  guns,  and  the  muskets,  the  pistols  and  the 
cutlasses,  the  shot-lockers  and  magazines,  and  tell  them  how 
the  lad,  scrubbing  a  brass  kettle  in  the  caboose,  had  been 
occupied  as  a  powder-monkey  and  seen  blood  shed  in  earnest  ? 
And  did  we  not  moreover  tell  them  that  if  the  forthcoming 
voyage  was  only  successful,  and  if  the  ships  of  the  enemy  were 
taken — no  matter  about  the  streams  of  blood  that  might  run 


AMERICAN  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE.  189 

through  the  scuppers — how  their  little  ventures  would  be  raised 
in  value  many  hundred-fold — would  not  young-  imaginations  be 
excited  and  the  greed  for  gain  be  potent  in  their  young  hearts  ? 
No  matter  what  woman  might  be  widowed — parent  made 
childless,  or  child  left  without  protector — if  the  gallant  privateer 
was  successful  that  was  all  they  were  taught  to  look  for.  And 
must  not  such  teaching1  have  had  effect  in  after  life  ?  I  have 
seen  these  thing's,  and  know  them  to  be  true  ;  but  I  have  seen 
them,  I  am  glad  to  say,  fade  away,  while  other  and  better 
prospects  have,  step  by  step,  presented  themselves  to  view. 

"As  a  man  I  have  seen  the  old  narrow  streets  widening— 
the  old  houses  crumbling — and  the  salty  savouring  of  society 
evaporate  and  the  sea  influence  recede  before  improvement, 
education  and  enlightenment  of  all  sorts.  Step  by  step  has 
that  sea  element  in  my  townsmen  declined.  The  three-bottle 
and  punch-drinking  man  is  the  exception  now,  and  not  the  rule 
of  the  table."* 

In  November,  1776,  the  merchants  of  Liverpool  gave 
public  notice  that  they  would  discourage  the  future  em- 
ployment of  any  persons,  who,  being  masters  of  vessels, 
should  separate  from  their  respective  convoys,  or  otherwise 
wilfully  disobey  the  orders  received  from  the  commanders 
thereof.  In  the  same  month,  the  Corporation,  to  avert  the 
inconveniences  and  hardships  which  the  impress  brought 
on  the  freemen  and  other  inhabitants  of  the  town,  and  also 
to  the  trade,  business,  and  commerce  thereof;  and  at  the 
same  time  to  assist  Government  in  manning  his  Majesty's 
ships,  offered  a  bounty  of  two  guineas  to  every  able  seaman 
volunteering  to  enter  the  navy,  and  to  every  volunteer 
ordinary  seaman  a  bounty  of  one  guinea,  over  and  above 
the  King's  bounty.  A  committee  of  the  Town  Council  sat 
in  the  Mayor's  office,  within  the  Exchange,  to  examine  and 
enter  such  volunteers. 

Captain  Wilson,  of  the  Union,  on  his  passage  was 
boarded  by  an  American  privateer,  of  10  six-pounders,  and 

*  "  Recollections  of  a  Nonagenarian,"  by  the  late  Mr.  James  Stonehouse. 


190  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

103  men,  called  the  Salty,  Captain  Munro,  of  Rhode  Island, 
who  took  out  his  cargo  of  ivory,  and  Malageta  pepper, 
clearances,  etc.,  and  all  the  letters.  The  privateer  had  just 
taken  a  ship  from  Bristol,  and  another  from  London,  and 
put  on  board  the  Union  24  prisoners,  and  some  provisions. 
Two  days  later,  the  Union  was  boarded  by  another  priva- 
teer of  six  guns  and  34  men,  commanded  by  Captain  Field, 
of  Rhode  Island,  and  again  by  a  third  privateer,  called  the 
Cabot,  belonging  to  the  Congress,  of  14  guns  and  130  men, 
commanded  by  Captain  Hinman,  who  searched  the  Union 
and  ordered  her  to  stand  to  the  N.W.,  which  they  did  until 
a  fleet  of  ships  came  in  sight,  when  one  of  them  gave  chase 
to  the  privateer.  The  Cabot  subsequently  captured  the 
brig  Watson,  Captain  Brison,  from  Jamaica  for  Liverpool, 
which  had  on  board  the  owner,  Mr.  James  Bier,  a  man  of 
resolution  and  resource.  The  following  letter  written  by 
him  from  Dundalk,  on  December  3rd,  1776,  tells  how  he 
got  his  own  again  :— 

"On  the  2nd  of  October,  in  lat.  41,  long.  45,  I  was  taken 
by  an  American  man-of-war  (as  they  call  themselves)  called 
the  Cabot,  a  brig"  of  14  guns,  commanded  by  Captain  Elisha 
Hinman,  who  had  just  before  taken  five  large  vessels.  1  was 
carried  on  board  the  privateer,  where  I  applied  to  the  Captain 
for  leave  to  continue  on  board  my  own  vessel,  which  he 
positively  refused  ;  however,  after  some  conversation  about 
privateering,  he  consulted  his  officers,  and  then  told  me  I 
might  go  on  board  ;  this  gave  me  great  pleasure.  Had  he 
kept  me,  I  should  have  taken  their  man-of-war,  they  having 
only  about  40  of  their  own  people,  and  upwards  of  80 
prisoners.  They  took  all  my  men,  except  the  captain,  one 
boy,  and  a  passenger,  putting  eight  of  their  own  people  on 
board.  We  were  to  proceed  to  New  London  or  Rhode 
Island.  In  about  three  weeks  we  got  into  soundings  off 
Boston,  but  that  night  I  had  determined  to  re-take  her,  having 
brought  over  to  my  party  two  of  their  people,  by  promising 
them  ;£ioo.  Accordingly,  at  8  o'clock,  they  sent  me  a  pistol 


AMERICAN  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE.  191 

by  the  boy,  on  which  I  immediately  jumped  upon  deck,  clap'd 
it  to  the  prize-master's  breast,  and  demanded  him  to  surrender 
the  vessel,  which  he  instantly  complied  with,  at  the  same  time 
the  captain  and  boy  secured  the  lieutenant  of  marines  in  the 
cabin.  We  then  secured  the  hatches,  till  I  got  all  the  arms, 
which  compleated  the  business.  I  bore  away  for  Halifax,  but 
the  wind  being"  fair,  stood  on  for  Newfoundland.  The  wind 
still  continuing  favourable,  stood  on  for  Ireland,  where  I  struck 
soundings  in  27  days.  We  had  but  two  barrels  of  beef  and 
three  of  bread  when  I  bore  away,  but  fortunately  had  two 
turtles  about  600  Ib.  weight,  which  served  us  three  weeks.  We 
ran  in  here  in  a  hard  gale  of  wind,  where  we  lie  in  safety, 
having  (thank  God)  received  no  damage,  except  one  boat 
washed  overboard,  with  studden-sails  and  some  spare  ropes. 
Our  fire  and  candles  were  intirely  exhausted.  I  hope  this  will 
be  agreeable  news,  and  remain  &c.,  J.  B." 

The  following  are  copies  of  the  commission  granted  by 
Admiral  Hopkins,  the  American  naval  commander-in-chief, 
to  Captain  Hinman,  and  of  the  latter's  orders  to  the  prize- 
master  put  on  board  the  Watson  : — 

"  By  the  power  given  me  by  the  Delegates  of  the  United 
Colonies  of  New  Hampshire,  Massachusetts-bay,  Rhode  Island, 
Connecticut,  New  York,  New  Jersey,  Pensylvania,  the  counties 
of  Newcastle,  Kent,  and  Sussex,  on  Delaware,  Maryland, 
Virginia,  North  Carolina,  South  Carolina,  and  Georgia, 
"To  ELISHA  HINMAN,  Esquire, 

I,  reposing  especial  trust  and  confidence  in  your  patriotism, 
valour,  conduct,  and  fidelity,  do  by  these  presents  constitute 
and  appoint  you  to  be  first  Lieutenant  of  the  armed  ships  in 
the  service  of  the  Thirteen  United  Colonies  of  North  America, 
fitted  out  for  the  defence  of  American  Liberty,  and  for  repelling 
every  hostile  invasion  thereof.  You  are  therefore,  carefully 
and  diligently  to  discharge  the  duty  of  First  Lieutenant,  by- 
doing  and  performing  all  manner  of  things  thereunto  belong- 
ing. And  I  do  hereby  strictly  charge  and  require  all  officers, 
mariners,  and  seamen,  under  your  command,  to  be  obedient  to 


192  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

your  orders  as  First  Lieutenant.  And  you  are  to  observe  and 
follow  such  orders  and  directions,  from  time  to  time,  as  you 
shall  receive  from  the  Congress  of  the  United  Colonies, 
or  Committee  of  Congress  for  that  purpose  appointed,  or 
Commander  in  Chief,  for  the  time  being-,  of  the  navy  of  the 
United  Colonies,  or  any  other  your  superior  officer,  according- 
to  the  rules  and  discipline  of  war,  the  usage  of  the  sea,  and  the 
instructions  herewith  given  you,  in  pursuance  of  the  trust 
reposed  in  you.  This  Commission  to  continue  in  force  until 
revoked  by  the  Congress. 

"  Ship  Alfred,  Sept.  29,  1776. 

"Signed     EZEK.  HOPKINS,  Commander  in  Chief. 

"The  above  is  a  true  copy  of  the  commission  given  me, 
from  under  my  hand  2d  Oct.,  1776. 

"  ELISHA   HIXMAN. 

"  N.B.  Since  I  received  my  commission,  I  received  orders 
from  the  Commander  in  Chief  to  take  command  of  the  Cabot. 

"  SIR, — You  are  to  take  charg-e  or  command  of  the  brig- 
Watson,  Francis  Brison,  master,  from  Jamaica,  bound  Liver- 
pool, and  proceed  with  her  to  New  London,  Rhode  Island,  or 
any  convenient  port  in  North  America.  On  your  arrival  apply 
to  the  continental  agent;  at  same  time  advise  Admiral  Hopkins 
of  your  safe  arrival. — On  board  the  Cabot,  in  latitude  40.36  N. 
longitude  43.30  W.  Oct.  3rd,  1776. 

"ELISHA  HINMAN." 

The  ship,  Leghorn  Galley,  Captain  Alexander  M'Daniel, 
belonging  to  Mr.  Thomas  Earle,  was  taken  on  her  passage 
from  Liverpool  to  Jamaica,  by  an  American  privateer  and 
carried  into  Philadelphia.  About  the  end  of  the  year  1772, 
Mr.  Thomas  Earle  established  a  line  of  packets,  sailing  at 
regular  times  from  Liverpool  to  Leghorn,  hence  probably 
the  name  of  the  vessel.  This  was  the  first  line  of  foreign 
packets  established  in  Liverpool.  Captain  M'Daniel  wrote 
the  following  letter  to  Mr.  Earle,  from  Nantz,  on  December 
,  1776  :— 
"  I  have  nothing  new  to  acquaint  you  with  from  Philadel- 


AMERICAN  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE.  193 

phia,  since  the  taking-  of  New  York,  which  you  no  doubt  have 
heard  of,  only  that  a  decisive  battle  was  expected  to  be  fought 
when  we  left  Philadelphia.  Here  is  the  Enterprise,  Capt. 
Weeks,  at  this  place,  belonging-  to  the  Congress,  mounting 
16  six-pounders,  24  swivels,  and  130  men.  She  brought  over 
Dr.  Franklin,  one  of  the  Congress,  who  is  gone  to  the  court  of 
Versailles.  She  took  a  brig  belonging  to  Cork  from  Bordeaux, 
one  Cod  master,  and  a  brig  from  Rochelle  bound  to  Hull,  one 
Fetchett  master,  about  fifteen  leagues  from  this  place,  and  has 
sold  both  vessels  and  cargoes  to  the  French.  Here  is  also  a 
privateer  belonging  to  Charles  Town,  South  Carolina,  com- 
manded by  one  Cockran,  mounting  12  four-pounders,  and  80 
men,  besides  four  other  vessels  belonging  to  the  Congress,  all 
taking  in  naval  and  military  stores,  and  are  arming  them  all." 

It  is  worth  noting  here,  that  Dr.  Franklin  has  left  upon 
record  some  very  severe  and  disrespectful  remarks,  regard- 
ing the  picturesque  and  patriotic  profession  of  privateering, 
in  which  we — and  it  is  hoped  the  reader — are  at  present 
highly  interested,  but  we  are,  on  the  other  hand,  morally 
fortified  by  the  equally  vigorous  utterance  of  another  dis- 
tinguished American  statesman — Jefferson,  who  held  that 
privateering  is  a  national  blessing,  when  a  country  like 
America  is  at  war  with  a  commercial  nation. 

In  November,  1776,  the  ship  Sam,  Captain  Richardson, 
on  her  passage  from  Barbadoes  for  Liverpool,  with  about 
20,000  dollars,  and  52  cwt.  of  ivory  on  board,  was  taken  in 
latitude  20°,  by  the  Independence  privateer,  of  10  guns  and 
45  men,  John  Young,  commander,  belonging  to  the  Con- 
gress. The  ship  was  sent  away  to  Philadelphia,  with  the 
ivory  and  silver  ;  the  captain  and  boatswain  were  landed  at 
St.  Pierre's,  Martinico  ;  the  doctor,  mate,  and  two  servants, 
and  four  of  the  crew  were  left  on  board  the  Sam,  and  all  the 
rest  of  the  hands  entered  on  board  the  privateer.  "  If  the 
French  Governors  suffer  prize  cargoes,  without  condemna- 
tion, to  be  landed  in  their  islands,"  observes  a  Barbadoes 

N 


194  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

correspondent,    "our   trade   must   most  certainly  be  quite 
ruined  very  soon." 

The  manners  of  the  lower  orders  in  Liverpool  at  this 
period,  are  exemplified  in  the  following  incident.  "Tuesday 
afternoon,"  says  the  paper  of  January  zyth,  1777,  "some 
riotous  people  assembled  before  a  house  in  Frederick  Street, 
and  dragged  from  thence  a  poor  woman,  whom  they  stripped 
and  inhumanly  ducked  a  number  of  times  in  the  dock,  and 
otherwise  ill-treated,  so  that  she  now  lies  very  ill  at  the 
Infirmary.  Proper  steps  are  taking  to  discover  and  punish 
the  offenders.  Their  resentment  was  owing  to  her  having 
given  information  to  the  press-gang  against  a  sailor,  who 
had  lately  married  her  in  the  north,  had  brought  her  here, 
where  he  had  a  former  wife,  and  refused  to  give  her  two 
shillings  to  carry  her  home  again."  A  subscription  was 
raised  on  her  behalf  in  the  town. 

During   the   scare   caused  by  the   incendiary,   John   the 
Painter,    in   January,    1777,    "at   a   very   great   and    most 
respectable  meeting  of  the  mayor,  magistrates,   merchants, 
and  traders,"  held  in  Liverpool,  it  was  resolved  that  a  strong 
and  efficient  watch  be  set  every  night  from  five  o'clock  in 
the  evening,  till  seven  o'clock  in  the  morning,  to  patrol  round 
the   docks  and  through  the  town.     Owners,    masters,  and 
others  interested,   were  recommended  to  have  their  ships 
carefully  watched,  the  persons  in  charge  not  to  be  allowed 
any   candle-light   or   fires  aboard  during  their  watch.     A 
committee  was  appointed  to  enforce  the  recommendations, 
and  a  great  number  of  gentlemen  voluntarily  offered  them- 
selves to  be  upon  guard,  by  rotation,  each  night.     Many 
special  constables  were  sworn,  and  the  magistrates  ordered 
all  disorderly,  idle  and  suspected  persons  having  no  visible 
means  of  getting  their  livelihood,  to  be  taken  up.     A  strict 
lookout  was  kept  on  all  loitering  persons  being  in  or  coming 
into  the  town,  and  the  inhabitants  who  had  lodgers  whom 
they   eyed   with   suspicion,  were   invited   to   impart   those 


AMERICAN  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE.  195 

suspicions  to  the  authorities — an  excellent  opportunity  to 
settle  old  scores.  The  committee  met  daily  in  the  Council 
chamber  to  receive  the  report  of  the  preceding  night's 
watch,  and  a  justice  of  the  peace  was  at  hand  to  deal  with 
offenders.  "All  riotous,  disorderly,  and  idle  persons," 
says  the  official  order,  "are  hereby  cautioned  to  forbear 
their  wicked  courses,  and  to  be  early  in  their  houses  or 
places  of  abode  at  nights  ;  and  all  strangers  are  desired  to 
keep  in  their  inns  in  due  time,  and  not  be  strolling  about 
the  town  at  unseasonable  hours,  to  prevent  the  inconvenience 
of  being  taken  up  by  the  constables  on  the  watch,  the  mayor 
and  magistrates  being  determined  rigorously  to  put  the 
laws  in  force  against  all  offenders.  And  the  gentlemen, 
merchants,  traders,  and  inhabitants  in  general  of  this  great 
commercial  town  and  port  will  heartily  concur,  and  dili- 
gently assist  in  their  guard,  care,  and  watching  for  the 
safety  and  preservation  thereof."  Circumstances  over  which 
he  had  no  control  prevented  John  the  Painter  from  visiting 
Liverpool  and  firing  its  shipping,  and  in  the  paper  of 
March  28th,  his  ghost  is  made  to  sing  a  doleful  warning  to 
other  "poor,  deluded,  guilty  souls,"  to  behold  their  fate  in 
him. 

"On  the  2Oth  instant,"  says  a  letter  from  Barbadoes,  dated 
the  25th  January,  1777,  "the  Thomas,  Captain  Collison,  and 
the  Sarah,  Captain  Frith,  both  from  Liverpool,  fell  in  with 
a  10  gun  sloop,  which  soon  boarded,  and,  sword  in  hand, 
took  the  former;  she  and  the  prize  then  fired  upon  the  latter 
ship,  which  by  having  the  heels  of  them,  got  off,  but  she 
had  the  misfortune  of  being  attacked  again  in  the  morning 
of  the  22nd  inst,  near  the  land,  by  a  schooner  of  considerable 
force,  with  which  she  had  a  long  and  smart  action.  The 
enemy  attempted  sundry  times  to  board  her,  but  were 
prevented  by  booms  rigged  out  on  each  side  of  the  Sarah, 
whose  mainmast  has  a  six-pounder  through  it,  the  sails, 
blocks,  and  rigging  all  cut  to  pieces,  and  his  chief  mate 


196  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

wounded  in  the  arm.  He,  poor  gentleman,  received  two 
musquet  balls  in  his  body,  and  though  all  imaginable  care 
was  taken  of  him,  immediately  on  his  arrival  in  Carlisle- 
bay,  last  Wednesday  evening,  he  died  the  night  before  last, 
and  was  buried  yesterday  morning.  The  engagement  was 
seen  from  the  shore,  and  it  is  allowed  that  poor  Frith 
behaved  gallantly.  At  the  bottom  of  the  invitations  to  his 
funeral  were  these  words — 

*  "  Dulce  et  Decorum  pro  Patria  Mori. " 
"The  people  on  board  the  Sarah  imagine  they  dropped 
the  Captain  of  the  schooner,  and  several  of  the  crew,  who 
appeared  to  them  to  be  chiefly  French,  Mulattoes,  and 
Negroes.  The  privateer  was  a  good  deal  shattered  in  her 
sails  and  rigging,  and  received  several  shots  in  her  hull. 
Several  of  the  Independent  Gentry  are  cruising  to  the  east- 
ward of  this  island,  and  some  of  them  well  fortified  and 
manned.  One  Fish,  a  Salem  man,  in  the  brig  Tyrannicide, 
of  14  guns  and  120  men,  has  been  very  successful;  the  last 
he  took,  that  we  know  of,  was  a  brig  called  the  Three  Friends, 
one  Helme,  commander,  from  London,  with  a  valuable 
cargo  of  dry  goods  and  provisions.  Said  capture  was  last 
Saturday.  The  long  boat  was  given  to  six  of  the  hands, 
who  arrived  here  that  afternoon,  and  reported  that  their 
Captain  and  mate  entered  on  board  the  privateer,  carrying 
with  them  a  sum  of  money  and  upwards  of  2000  letters  for 
this  place.  Such  swarms  of  them  are  to  the  windward  that 
'tis  to  be  feared  they  will  do  much  mischief." 

Mr.  James  Barton,  second  mate  of  the  Thomas,  writing 
to  his  owners  in  Liverpool,  from  Newport,  Rhode  Island, 
on  February  23rd,  1777,  says  :— 

"  I  suppose  by  this  time  you  may  have  heard  of  our  being- 
taken  ;    but   as    it   is  uncertain,    I    shall  just  mention   a  few 
particulars,  and  leave  the  rest  to  a  superior  officer.      Suffice  it, 
therefore,  to  say,  that  on  the  2ist  of  January  last,  in  lat.  14  N. 
*  It  is  sweet  and  glorious  to  die  for  one's  country. 


AMERICAN  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE,  197 

and  long-it.  56  W.  from  London,  we  were  met  with,  engaged, 
and  took  by  an  American  Privateer,  called  the  Revenge,  whereof 
Joseph  Sheffield  was  the  commander,  after  having  two  of  our 
people  killed,  and  the  Captain,  Mr.  Harper,  and  the  Boatswain 
wounded. 

"Most  of  the  crew,  along  with  myself,  were  immediately 
put  on  board  the  privateer  ;  but  on  the  23rd  of  January  we  fell 
in  with  a  French  ship  bound  to  Martinico,  whom  the  privateer 
obliged  to  take  immediately  on  board  her  our  Captain,  Chief 
Mate,  and  all  the  crew  (excepting  the  Boatswain,  who  was 
very  ill  wounded,  a  boy  and  myself,  whom  they  detained  and 
would  not  suffer  to  quit  the  ship).  We  parted  from  the  French 
ship  the  same  day,  and  stood  for  America  with  the  privateer 
in  company.  We  had  very  bad  weather  after  leaving  the 
privateer,  and  on  the  i4th  of  February  made  land,  which 
proved  to  be  Rhode  Island,  and  not  having  heard  it  was 
taken,  we  stood  in  for  the  harbour,  which  we  were  very  near, 
when  the  privateer,  our  consort,  ahead  saw  a  sail  and  imme- 
diately crowded  all  he  could  and  stood  from  her  ;  we  followed 
his  example,  but  it  blowing  very  fresh  at  N.W.  in  about  two 
hours  the  sail  came  alongside  of  us,  which  proved  to  be  his 
Majesty's  ship  Unicorn,  of  20  guns,  commanded  by  John  Ford, 
Esq.,  who  took  all  the  prisoners  on  board  his  own  ship,  and 
sent  two  officers  and  twelve  of  his  men  on  board  of  us  to  take 
charge  of  the  vessel.  We  then  stood  for  Newport  with  the 
Unicorn  in  company  with  us  till  morning,  when  she  left  us  and 
went  in  chase  of  a  sloop,  and  on  the  i6th  of  February  we  got 
safely  to  anchor  in  the  harbour.  The  privateer  took  all  our 
letters  and  papers  from  on  board  us.  As  soon  as  we  arrived 
here  I  put  the  Boatswain  on  shore,  intending  to  get  him  into 
the  King's  Hospital,  which  I  was  advised  not  to  do  by  the 
doctor,  as  he  had  no  disorder  but  his  wounds,  and  that  if  he 
went  there  he  might  contract  some  distemper  that  would 
retard  his  cure.  I  have  since  procured  him  private  lodgings 
and  believe  his  leg  will  be  amputated  in  a  few  days. 

"  Captain  Wise  and  his  boy,  who  were  taken  by  the  same 
privateer  in  her  last  cruize,  are  on  board,  and  I  believe  they 


198  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

will  come  home  with  us.  When  our  ship  was  taken  we  had 
very  little  water,  and  the  privateer  was  in  the  same  case  ;  they 
therefore  thought  proper  to  unstow  our  hold,  and  take  our 
wine,  upwards  of  180  firkins  of  butter,  two  hogsheads  of  bread, 
two  barrels  of  flour,  four  barrels  of  pork,  a  few  bags  of  barley, 
pease,  &c. ,  five  or  six  barrels  of  gunpowder,  some  small  arms 
and  sundry  other  articles  on  board  of  them,  for  fear  of  our 
vessel  being  retaken." 

In  1779,  the  Thomas,  Captain  Barton,  and  the  Sarali, 
Captain  Hooton,  took  a  prize  on  their  passage  to  Grenada. 
The  Sarah  was  subsequently  lost  at  Anguilla.  The  Thomas 
also  captured  a  schooner  laden  with  tobacco,  and  sent  her 
into  St.  Kitts. 

A  letter  from  Waterford,  dated  May  ist,  says:  "We 
have  a  certain  account  of  five  rebel  privateers  off  Cape 
Clear  and  Kinsale,  waiting,  it  is  imagined,  for  the  New- 
foundland fleet  from  hence,  and  transports  from  Cork. 
The  convoy  is  only  a  sloop  of  14  guns.  They  take  our 
ships  in  our  channel.  Two  of  this  port  are  taken.  Where 
it  will  end  I  know  not."  In  the  same  month  it  was  cal- 
culated that  the  value  of  the  West  India  ships  that  had 
fallen  into  the  hands  of  the  Americans  was  upwards  of 
,£400,000  sterling.  The  following  was  given  as  "  a  perfect 
list  of  the  naval  force  belonging  to  the  Congress,"  exclusive 
of  which  there  were  upwards  of  100  sail  of  privateers  : — 

SHIPS.  GUNS.             COMMANDERS. 

The  Virginia  28  James  Nicholson. 

Hancock  32  John  Manly. 

Boston  24  Hector  M'Neal. 

Tnimbull  28  Dudley  Saltonstall. 

Randolph  32  Nicholas  Biddle. 

Rainleigh  32  John  Thompson. 

Effingham  28  John  Berry. 

Washington  32  Thomas  Reed. 

Congress  28  Thomas  Guinall. 


AMERICAN  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE. 


199 


COMMANDERS. 

Charles  Alexander 

Lambert  Weeks. 

Abram  Whipple. 

John  Hicks. 

John  Hodg-e. 

John  Hallock. 

Hoysted  Hacker. 

Isaiah  Robinson. 

John  Paul  Jones. 

James  Josiah. 

Elisha  Hinman. 

Joshua  Olney. 

James  Robinson. 

John  Young1. 

Elisha  Warner. 

Cook. 

Lieut.  Baldwin. 

Lieut.  Abberton. 
In  June,  1777,  the  Marlborough,  Captain  Dawson,  on  her 
passage  to  New  York,  took  the  Three  Brothers,  Bentley, 
from  South  Carolina,  with  rice,  staves,  and  indigo,  and  sent 
her  to  Liverpool.  The  night  before  they  made  Cape  Clear, 
Captain  Bentley  attempted  to  kill  the  prize-master,  but  was 
prevented  by  the  vigilance  of  the  cabin  boy.  In  1778, 
Captain  Dawson  brought  into  the  Mersey  a  brig  from 
Boston,  laden  with  boards,  cider,  etc.,  which  he  had  taken 
on  his  passage  from  Philadelphia.  The  Marlborough  was 
captured  and  carried  into  Bordeaux  in  August,  1780. 

His  Majesty's  ship,  Ariadne,  took  the  Musquito  privateer, 
16  guns  and  72  men,  commanded  by  Captain  Harris,  and 
fitted  out  in  Virginia,  by  Captain  Younghusband,  formerly 
of  Liverpool.  The  Mary  Ann,  Captain  Leigh,  of  Liverpool, 
and  her  consort,  a  sloop,  captured  thirteen  prizes,  valued  at 
upwards  of  ,£10,000,  and  carried  them  into  Tortola.  The 
Mary  Ann,  on  her  homeward  passage,  was  lost  on  the 


SHIPS. 

GUNS 

Delaware 

24 

Reprisal 

16 

Providence 

28 

Warren 

o  o 

^^ 

Montgomery 

24 

Lexington 

16 

Hampden 

24 

Andre  Doria 

14 

Providence 

12 

Defence 

20 

Alfred 

28 

Cabot 

16 

Sachem 

10 

Independence 

10 

Fly 

IO 

Columbus 

— 

Wasp 

8 

Musqueto 

4 

200  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

Tuskar,  but  all  the  crew  were  saved,  as  well  as  the  indigo 
portion  of  her  cargo.  The  Hero,  Captain  Woodville,  a 
Letter  of  Marque,  16  guns,  took  a  double-decked  schooner, 
150  tons,  with  boards,  staves,  etc.,  in  the  West  Indies,  and 
the  Valiant,  Captain  Naylor,  took  an  American  sloop,  with 
lumber,  etc.,  from  Boston.  The  Laurel,  Captain  White, 
on  her  passage  from  Dominica,  took  a  schooner  bound  from 
Bilbao  to  Philadelphia,  with  bale  goods. 

Captain  Wm.  Buddecome,  of  Liverpool,  was  presented 
with  a  silver  cup,  value  ;£i8,  by  the  merchants  and  masters 
of  18  vessels  belonging  to  New  York,  for  his  care  in  con- 
voying their  fleet  between  the  West  Indies  and  New  York, 
after  the  Falcon  sloop  of  war  had  separated  from  them. 
Captain  George  Ross,  of  London,  was  also  presented  with 
a  silver  cup,  value  ^12,  for  assisting  Captain  Buddecome. 

Letters  from  Dumfries  mentioned  that  two  American 
privateers  had  anchored  in  the  Solway  Frith.  One  letter 
says  they  had  taken  14  prizes;  another  9;  another  account 
stated  that  two  American  vessels  had  appeared  off  Kintyre  ; 
that  they  had  made  15  prizes,  three  of  which  they  burnt,  and 
sent  the  rest  to  some  port  in  France.  A  letter  from  Jersey 
complained  that  the  American  privateers  grew  daily  bolder, 
having  the  effrontery  to  cruise  even  between  Jersey  and 
Guernsey.  The  largest  of  them  were  only  10  gun  vessels, 
and  on  being  pursued,  they  immediately  made  for  St.  Malo. 

The  following  curious  extract  is  from  a  letter  received  by 
a  Liverpool  merchant  from  St.  Vincent,  and  dated  May 
5th,  1777:- 

"  I  had  the  pleasure  of  writing-  to  you  a  few  days  since  by 
the  Bess,  which  ship  we  are  in  hopes  is  got  clear  of  the  islands, 
as  we  find  she  has  not  been  carried  into  that  infernal  place 
Martinique,  the  nest  of  damned  piratical  scoundrels.  The 
great  frigate,  Oliver-  Cromwell,  took  three  prizes  in  last  week, 
one  a  Guineaman  with  300  slaves,  one  a  ship  from  London  ; 
have  not  yet  heard  what  Guineaman  she  is,  nor  what  the  other 


AMERICAN  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE.  201 

vessel  is.  The  ship  Champion,  belonging-  to  Bristol,  is  taken 
at  Tobago  ;  she  was  going-  from  one  bay  to  another,  and  had 
150  hogsheads  sug-ar,  and  2.2  bales  of  cotton  on  board.  They 
are  now  discharging-  her  at  St.  Lucia.  We  do  not  find  that 
the  Americans  are  so  much  protected  any  where  as  at  Mar- 
tinique and  St.  Lucia,  which  is  under  the  same  government. 
Was  their  trade  and  communication  cut  off  there,  which  two 
frigates  would  in  a  measure  do,  no  step  the  ministry  could 
take  would  distress  them  more  ;  it  is  from  thence  they  are 
supplied  with  every  thing  they  stand  in  need  of,  not  only  arms 
and  ammunition,  but  men.  A  great  many  experienced  officers 
are  gone  to  the  continent ;  and  we  have  numbers  of  privateers 
that  are  manned  with  French  ;  some  have  only  an  American, 
and  that  perhaps  a  landsman,  just  to  cloak  their  piratical 
proceedings.  It  is  said  (and  I  believe  founded  on  truth)  that 
Mons.  le  Compte  D'Argout,  present  governor  of  Martinique,  is 
concerned  with  Bingham,  the  agent  to  the  Congress,  in  nine 
privateers.  There  are  now  about  20  sail  of  English  ships  in 
Martinique.  Negroes  are  cheaper  there  than  in  Africa,  and 
provisions  than  in  Ireland." 

The  Sisters,  Captain  Graham,  a  Liverpool  slave  ship, 
was  taken  on  her  passage  from  Africa  to  the  West  Indies, 
and  carried  into  Martinico  with  163  slaves  on  board.  The 
Lydia,  Captain  Dean,  from  Jamaica  to  Liverpool,  was 
taken,  and  sold  in  Maryland,  with  the  cargo,  for  ,£20,400 
currency.  The  Grace,  Captain  Wardley,  taken  by  the 
Lexington  privateer  in  the  Irish  Channel,  was  ordered  to 
France,  but  was  recaptured  by  the  prize  master  and  some  of 
the  people  on  board,  carried  into  Torbay,  and  thence  to 
Liverpool.  On  the  2nd  of  June,  1777,  the  Elizabeth,  Captain 
Byrne,  on  her  passage  from  Liverpool  to  Jamaica,  fell  in 
with  the  Fly,  an  American  sloop  privateer,  of  14  guns  and 
104  men,  whom  she  fought  for  an  hour  and-a-half,  when 
the  American  ran  alongside  and  boarded  the  Elizabeth, 
sword  in  hand.  The  captain  and  crew  of  the  Elizabeth 
were  cut  and  mangled  in  a  shocking  manner;  three  of  them 


202  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

were  killed  and  thirteen  wounded.  The  Johnson,  Captain 
Jones,  from  Liverpool  to  New  York,  made  a  gallant  fight 
of  three  hours  against  three  American  vessels  (a  brig  of  14 
guns,  and  two  schooners  of  10  and  12  guns),  but  in  the  end 
was  forced  to  accompany  his  captors  to  Boston.  The 
Johnson,  re-named  the  Marquis  de  la  Fayette,  was  subse- 
quently captured  by  Sir  George  Collier. 

Although  all  is  said  to  be  fair  in  love  and  in  war,  we 
cannot  but  feel  that  the  inducements  offered  to  American 
sailors  by  the  British  government,  for  the  treacherous 
capture  of  American  ships,  were  unworthy  of  the  British 
name.  In  Williamson's  Advertiser,  of  July  i8th,  1777,  we 
read  as  follows  : — 

' '  As  his  Majesty  has  declared  that  the  sailors  on  board  the 
American  ships,  who  shall  take  the  same  from  the  person  or 
persons  having-  the  command  thereof,  and  bring-  them  into  any 
English  ports,  shall  have  two-thirds  of  what  such  ships  and 
cargoes  shall  be  sold  for  (and  for  three  years  be  exempted 
from  being  impressed),  it  is  apprehended  that  when  the  same 
shall  be  properly  known  among  the  sailors,  it  will  be  the  means 
of  bringing  many  a  valuable  ship  and  cargo  into  England, 
which  would  otherwise  go  to  the  French  ports." 

That  this  bait  was  intended  for  American  sailors,  as  well 
as  for  British  seamen  in  the  rebel  service,  is  very  clearly 
seen  from  a  case  which  happened  in  Liverpool  earlier  in 
the  same  year.  In  January,  there  entered  the  Mersey,  "in 
the  presence  of  thousands  of  rejoicing  spectators,"  the  ship 
Oxford,  from  York  River,  in  Virginia,  laden  with  412 
hogsheads  of  tobacco  and  staves.  She  had  been  captured 
on  Sunday,  the  nth  of  January,  on  her  passage  to  Nantz, 
by  four  of  the  ship's  company,  who  overcame  the  rest  of 
the  crew,  eight  in  number,  besides  the  supercargo  and  a 
passenger.  It  appears  that  these  "four  resolute,  brave 
men,  two  of  whom  were  Liverpool  and  the  other  two 
Lancashire  lads,"  had,  in  conjunction  with  others  of  their 


AMERICAN  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE.  203 

comrades,  who  were  put  on  board  other  vessels,  combined 
together  in  Virginia  to  attempt,  on  their  passage,  to  take 
the  respective  vessels  they  belonged  to.  "  These  brave 
sailors,"  observes  the  paper  of  January  23rd,  "  say  that  a 
brig  loaded  with  tobacco,  from  the  same  place,  with  some 
men,  part  of  their  association,  may  be  daily  expected  to 
arrive  here.  The  Oxford  originally  belonged  to  Glasgow, 
and  was  in  the  transport  service  when  took  by  the  Americans. 
As  this  vessel  was  not  taken  by  the  officers  and  seamen  of 
his  Majesty's  ships  of  war,  she  becomes,  by  virtue  of  an 
Act  of  the  last  session,  and  also  the  cargo,  forfeited  to  his 
Majesty,  who  will,  no  doubt,  reward  the  brave  captors  with 
the  whole,  or  the  greatest  part  of  this  valuable  prize;  which 
it  is  hoped  will  encourage  all  seamen,  that  may  be  engaged 
in  the  Rebel  Service,  to  imitate  these  brave  fellows." 

Another  ship  called  the  Aurora,  was  captured  under 
similar  circumstances.  She  had  sailed  from  America  for 
Nantz,  with  about  416  hogsheads  of  tobacco  from  York 
River,  and  was  manned  by  Americans,  Frenchmen,  and 
four  or  five  Englishmen.  On  the  passage  the  Englishmen 
contrived  to  make  prisoners  the  captain  and  the  rest  of  the 
crew,  when,  putting  her  head  to  the  wind,  they  brought  the 
vessel  safely  into  the  Mersey.  She  was  condemned  as  a 
droit  of  Admiralty,  and  the  tobacco  was  sold  "duty  free 
and  for  inland  consumption  only  "  at  Messrs.  Backhouse's 
warehouse  in  Church  Street. 

"The  Lords  of  the  Admiralty,"  says  the  paper  of  July  4th, 
1777,  "have  rewarded  the  brave  seamen  who  took  and 
brought  in  here  the  Aurora,  loaded  with  tobacco,  in  January 
last,  with  two-thirds  of  the  cargo,  which  will  be  to  each 
of  the  eight  English  seamen,  who  made  the  seizure, 
^1828  2S.  gd.,  and  to  each  of  the  five  American  seamen, 
who  assisted  to  bring  the  ship  into  this  port,  ,£914  is. 


*  From  this  it  would  appear  that  Sir  James  Picton,  in  his  "Memorials  of  Liver- 
pool," and  the  compiler  of  the  "Annals  of  Liverpool  "  in  Gore's  Directory,  are 


204  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVA  TEERS. 

The  names  of  the  five  Americans  were  Jesse  Jenkinson, 
Jesse  Topping,  Gilbert  Welsh,  Joseph  Walker,  and  Hugh 
Johnson.  On  their  arrival  here,  they  were  impressed  on 
board  his  Majesty's  tender;  but,  on  their  applying  to  the 
Admiralty,  they  will,  without  doubt,  each  receive  their 
respective  shares." 

Something  of  a  similar  nature  occurred  in  1862,  when  a 
ship  called  the  Emilie  St.  Pierre  arrived  in  the  Mersey, 
commanded  by  Captain  Wilson,  who  had  recaptured  her 
from  a  Federal  American  prize  crew.  Sir  James  Picton, 
referring  to  a  certain  villa  in  Everton  Terrace,  built  by  Mr. 
James  Parke  about  the  beginning  of  the  present  century, 
and  occupied  by  him  for  many  years,  says,  "its  last 
occupant,  Captain  William  Wilson,  was  rather  a  noticeable 
man.  In  1862,  when  in  command  of  the  Emilie  St.  Pierre, 
he  endeavoured  to  run  the  blockade  into  Charleston,  South 
Carolina,  but  was  intercepted  and  captured  by  the  Federal 
war  steamer  James  Adger.  A  prize  crew  was  put  on  board 
to  carry  the  vessel  to  Philadelphia,  Captain  Wilson,  with 
his  steward  and  cook,  being  alone  retained.  By  an  amazing 
combination  of  stratagem  and  daring,  the  whole  crew  were 
made  prisoners  and  put  in  irons  by  Wilson  and  his  two 
assistants,  who,  unaided,  navigated  the  ship  and  brought 
her  in  safety  across  the  Atlantic  into  the  Mersey,  where  she 
arrived  on  April  2ist.  As  might  naturally  be  expected, 
Wilson  received  quite  an  ovation.*  By  a  subscription 

incorrect  in  stating  that  "  thirteen  seamen  received  each  ,£1,828  2s.  gtl.  as  share  of 
prize  money,  being  only  one-third  of  the  value  of  the  prizes  taken."  Stonehouse,  in 
his  "  Streets  of  Liverpool,"  states  that  the  cargo  of  the  Aurora  sold  for  upwards  of 
,£30,000.  The  proportion  received  by  the  seamen  was,  therefore,  two-thirds 
(=,£19,195  8s.  lo^d.)  as  graciously  ordained  by  that  wise  monarch,  who  lost  us 
thirteen  colonies.  We  suspect  that  the  Oxford  was  really  the  Aurora,  as  the 
latter  name  does  not  appear  in  the  arrival  lists,  although  her  cargo  was  advertised 
and  sold,  whereas  there  is  no  further  mention  of  the  Oxford  and  her  cargo.  Other 
ships,  however,  captured  in  the  same  manner,  arrived  in  Glasgow  and  other  ports. 

*  The  present  writer,  then  a  boy,  had  the  pleasure  of  being  in  the  company  of 
Captain  Wilson  a  day  or  two  after  his  arrival  in  Liverpool,  and  the  romantic 
impression  made  by  seeing  and  hearing  one's  first  live  hero  remains  undimmecl 
after  the  lapse  of  35  years 


AMERICAN  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE.  205 

amongst  the  merchants,  he  was  presented  with  a  gold 
chronometer,  and  a  tea  and  coffee  service.  From  the 
Mercantile  Marine  Association  he  received  a  gold  medal, 
and  from  the  owners  the  sum  of  ,£2,000.  The  cook  and 
steward  received  ^320  each.  Captain  Wilson  died  in 
September,  1868,  and  the  house  has  since  been  removed.* 

The  following  is  a  copy  of  a  letter  from  Captain  Nehemiah 
Holland,  probably  the  same  who  so  bravely  defended  the 
Ann  Galley,  as  already  recorded  :— 

"At  sea,  ship  Sarah  Gonlburn,  lat.  44.0  N.  long-.  39.00  W., 
1 9th  July,  1777:— 

"GENTLEMEN, — I  congratulate  you  upon  a  prize  I  have 
taken  this  day,  named  the  Sally,  Thomas  Tracy,  master,  from 
Charles  Town,  South  Carolina,  bound  to  Nantz,  loaded  with 
470  whole,  and  120  half  barrels  rice,  and  betwixt  twenty  and 
thirty  casks  of  indigo.  I  have  put  in  Mr.  Smith  as  prize  master, 
who  will  acquaint  you  of  every  particular  since  our  sailing.  Am 
in  a  hurry  to  dispatch  the  prize,  as  I  am  informed  there  were 
30  sail  more  to  sail  from  Charles  Town  the  day  after  them,  and 
am  anxious  to  be  amongst  them.  You'll  please  remember  me 
to  my  friends,  as  I  have  not  time  to  write  them.  I  remain, 
Gentlemen,  Your  much  obligeed  humble  Servant,  N.  HOLLAND. 
"  P.S.  Mr.  Smith  has  behaved  very  well  with  me,  and 
executed  his  office  as  I  could  wish.  Would  be  much  oblished 
to  you  to  assist  him  in  another  birth." 

Mr.  Smith  brought  the  valuable  prize  safe  into  port  in 
August. 

"On  Sunday  last,"  says  the  Liverpool  paper,  of  July  25th, 
1777,  "arrived  here,  the  ship  Pole,  Captain  Maddock,  in 
twenty-four  days  from  New  York.  On  the  i2th  inst  at  p.m., 
in  lat.  50  ,  long.  20°,  she  fell  in  with  the  Tartar,  a  rebel 
privateer,  mounting  20  nine-pounders  on  the  main-deck, 
8  four-pounders  on  the  quarter-deck,  and  4  four-pounders 
on  the  forecastle,  full  of  men,  supposed  two  hundred  at 

*  "  Memorials  of  Liverpool,"  vol  2,  pp.  357-8- 


206  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

least ;  had  an  image  head,  and  quarter  galleries.  All  her 
guns  on  the  main-deck  were  painted  black  ;  those  on  the 
quarter-deck  and  forecastle  red.  The  ship  was  painted 
black  and  yellow,  with  tarred  sides,  and  short  topgallant 
mastheads.  She  bore  down  on  the  Pole  under  English 
colours,  enquired  from  whence  she  came,  and  whether  she 
was  a  King's  ship.  Being  answered  in  the  affirmative,  the 
captain  gave  orders  to  hoist  the  Thirteen  Stripes,  and  fire 
away,  on  which  the  engagement  began,  and  continued  from 
five  until  about  twenty  minutes  past  eight,  when  the 
privateer  sheered  off.  Captain  Maddock  had  two  mates 
and  a  passenger  wounded,  and  supposes  that  near  one-half 
of  the  people  belonging  to  the  privateer  must  be  killed  or 
wounded,  he  having  cleared  their  forecastle  of  men  three 
different  times,  and  says  he  heard  dreadful  cries  among 
them.  The  Pole  had  16  six-pounders,  and  only  forty  people, 
passengers  included.  Both  officers  and  men  behaved 
gallantly,  and  to  Captain  Maddock's  entire  satisfaction. 
One  of  the  passengers,  an  elderly  woman  belonging  to 
Liverpool,  but  who  had  been  twenty-seven  years  in  America, 
handed  the  cartridges  to  the  men.  The  ships  were  within 
hail  of  each  other  during  the  whole  engagement.  The 
word  "Tartar"  was  observed  on  the  privateer's  stern,  and  by 
a  list  handed  about  at  New  York,  Captain  Maddock  finds 
she  was  commanded  by  one  Davies,  a  Welshman,  and 
mentioned  there  to  have  32  guns." 

On  her  passage  from  Liverpool  to  New  York,  in  Sep- 
tember, 1777,  the  Pole  took  the  Friendship,  from  Bordeaux 
for  Boston,  but  the  prize  was  retaken  by  an  American 
privateer.  In  1778,  the  Pole  took  the  Hannah  schooner, 
and  sent  her  to  Jamaica,  and  the  Prince  and  Liberty,  an 
American  brig  laden  with  wine,  rum,  molasses,  and  dry 
goods,  which  she  carried  to  New  York.  In  1779,  she 
captured  the  Salisbury,  from  Maryland  for  Nantz,  with  140 
hogsheads  of  tobacco,  and  the  Hector  from  Martinico  for 


AMERICAN  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE.  207 

France  with  sugar,  coffee,  and  cotton.  The  Pole  was 
herself  taken  the  same  year,  on  her  passage  to  Jamaica,  by 
the  Boston  and  Confederacy,  "  Continental  frigates,"  and 
carried  into  the  Delaware. 

According  to  the  London  Gazette,  of  the  i  ith  of  July,  1777, 
the  English  cruisers  on  the  coast  of  America,  captured 
between  the  ist  of  January,  1777,  and  the  22nd  of  May 
following,  203  American  vessels,  besides  recapturing  fifteen 
British  vessels  taken  by  the  Americans.  Thus  the  work  of 
destruction  and  the  ruin  of  commerce  proceeded  with  equal 
vigour  on  both  sides,  for  the  American  privateers  wrought 
havoc  in  the  Channel. 

The  Gregson,  Captain  Wotherspoon,  was  attacked  by  two 
privateers,  but  beat  them  both  off. 

The  Fancy,  Captain  Allanson,  on  the  passage  from 
Jamaica  to  Liverpool,  had  an  engagement  in  the  Gulf  with 
an  American  privateer  of  10  guns  and  50  men,  killed  three 
of  her  men,  and  obliged  the  captain  to  produce  his  papers, 
which  were  French,  "and  then  let  him  go  about  his 
business." 

The  J ohn,  Captain  Watkins,  from  Liverpool  for  Halifax, 
was  taken  by  an  American  privateer,  and  retaken  by  the 
Milford  man-of-war,  who  put  a  midshipman  and  two  seamen 
on  board  to  carry  her  to  Halifax,  but  in  her  passage,  she 
was  again  taken  by  an  American  privateer. 

The  paper  of  July  nth,  1777,  contains  an  abstract  of  the 
Act  authorising  the  carrying  of  the  captures  therein  men- 
tioned into  any  part  of  his  Majesty's  dominions  in  North 
America  ;  and  for  ascertaining  the  value  of  such  parts  of 
ships  and  goods  as  belonged  to  the  recaptors.  After 
reciting  the  Act  of  George  III.  (for  prohibiting  all  trade 
and  intercourse  with  the  rebellious  colonies  ;  and  two  other 
Acts  for  restraining  the  trade  and  commerce  of  the  said 
colonies  ;  and  to  enable  persons  appointed  by  the  King  to 
grant  pardons,  issue  proclamations,  etc.),  it  enacts  :— 


208  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVA  TEERS. 

"  i.  That  any  persons  authorised  by  the  King"  to  grant 
pardons,  &c.,  may  by  licence  or  warrant  authorise  captors,  or 
other  persons  in  their  behalf,  to  carry  their  captures  into  any 
port,  &c. ,  in  any  of  his  Majesty's  dominions  in  America  : 

"  2.  That  all  captures  already  carried  into  New  York,  or 
which,  before  August  ist,  1777,  shall  be  carried  in  there,  or 
into  any  of  his  Majesty's  dominions,  with  such  licence  afore- 
said, shall  be  deemed  to  have  been  lawfully  carried  into  such 
port  ;  and  after  condemnation,  may  be  brought  into  this 
kingdom,  or  any  of  his  Majesty's  dominions,  upon  payment 
of  the  same  duties,  and  subject  to  the  same  regulations  as  they 
now  are  : 

"  3.  That  when  any  ship,  &c. ,  taken  by  virtue  of  the  above 
Act,  or  any  goods  therein,  shall  be  proved  in  any  of  the 
Admiralty  or  Vice-Admiralty  Courts  in  America  or  the  West 
Indies,  to  have  belonged  to  the  subjects  of  Great  Britain  or 
Ireland,  or  any  dominions  in  allegiance  to  the  King,  and  to 
have  been  taken  by  any  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  rebellious 
colonies,  and  to  be  in  the  possession  of  such  unlawful  captors, 
when  retaken;  such  ship,  &c.,  shall  be  restored  to  the  owners, 
they  paying  one  eighth  of  the  value  to  the  recaptors,  or  giving 
sufficient  security  to  do  so,  for  salvage  ;  and  the  judge  of  the 
court  wherein  such  ship  shall  be  decreed  to  be  restored  shall 
cause  the  same  to  be  appraised  by  persons  named  by  the 
claimant  and  recaptors,  or  they  not  agreeing,  by  the  Court, 
such  persons  being  sworn  truly  to  appraise  the  same  ;  and  no 
retaken  ship,  &c. ,  shall  be  sold  for  payment  of  salvage,  or  on 
any  other  account,  unless  with  the  owner's  consent,  except 
where  there  shall  be  no  claim  for  such  retaken  ships,  &c.,  in 
which  case,  the  said  judge  shall  order  as  much  of  the  cargo  to 
be  sold  as  will  pay  the  said  ^th  and  the  expenses  of  appraise- 
ment, &c. ,  and  if  the  cargo  be  not  sufficient,  the  ship,  &c. ,  to 
be  sold,  and  the  remainder,  after  paying  the  salvage,  to  be 
deposited  in  the  registry  of  the  Court,  for  the  owners,  who 
may  afterwards  claim  the  same  ;  and  except  also  any  part  of 
the  cargo  appear  in  a  perishing  condition,  when  the  same  may 
be  sold  for  the  benefit  of  the  concerned." 


AMERICAN  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE.  209 

The  Fanny,  Captain  Wignall,  on  her  passage  from  Liver- 
pool to  Halifax,  had  an  engagement  with  an  American 
privateer,  of  16  or  18  guns,  for  two  hours,  when  the 
"rebel"  sheered  off.  Captain  Wignall  believed  that  she 
sunk,  as  he  lost  -sight  of  her  about  two  hours  after  she  left 
him,  although  the  weather  was  clear  and  but  little  wind. 
Captain  Wignall  expended  in  the  engagement — "89  rounds 
of  shot,  1 8  Ib.  double-headed  ditto,  six  canisters  of  copper 
dross,  295  Ib.  of  grape  shot,  in  number  1295,  making  in  all 
1420  shot  and  about  250  Ib.  of  gunpowder,  beside  musquet 
shot,  which  was  a  great  many."  His  officers  and  men,  he 
tells  us,  "  behaved  like  true  British  tars." 

In  July,  1777,  the  Lords  Commissioners  of  the  Admiralty 
informed  the  merchants  of  Liverpool  that  they  had  stationed 
his  Majesty's  ships  the  Albion,  Exeter,  Arethnsa,  and  Ceres 
to  cruise  between  the  coasts  of  Great  Britain  and  Ireland  in 
quest  of  American  privateers,  and  for  the  protection  of  the 
trade  in  those  ports.  The  commanders  were  directed  to 
enquire  for  intelligence  respecting  such  privateers,  as 
follows  : — The  Albion  and  Ceres  at  Dublin  and  at  Campbel- 
town  ;  the  Exeter  at  Milford  Haven  and  Cork  alternately ;  the 
Arethusa  at  Whitehaven,  in  her  way  up  channel,  and  after- 
wards at  Campbeltown  and  Carrickfergus.  Other  cruisers 
were  stationed  between  Scilly,  the  coasts  of  Ireland,  and 
Milford  Haven  for  the  like  purpose.  It  was  certainly  high 
time  for  their  Lordships  at  the  Admiralty  to  bestir  themselves, 
for  in  this  very  month  of  July  the  American  privateer,  General 
Mifflin,  of  20  six-pounders,  fitted  out  at  Boston,  and  com- 
manded by  Walter  Day,  made  her  appearance  in  the  Irish 
Channel,  and  captured  many  prizes,  including  the  James, 
from  Glasgow  to  Oporto,  taken  the  day  after  she  left 
Glasgow  ;  the  Rebecca,  from  Liverpool  to  Limerick  ;  the 
Mary  and  Betty,  from  Liverpool  to  Ballyshannon  ;  and  the 
Priscilla,  from  Sligo  to  Liverpool,  with  linen  yarn.  Most 

of  these   vessels,    and   of  the   other   prizes   taken    by  the 
o 


210  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

American  privateers,  were  sent  to  France  to  be  sold.  The 
Mary  and  Betty  was  given  back  to  the  crew,  after  being 
plundered  of  the  most  valuable  part  of  her  cargo.  The 
General  Mifflin  was  originally  a  Liverpool  vessel  called  the 
Isaac,  engaged  in  the  West  India  trade,  and  commanded 
by  Captain  Ashburner,  and  most  likely  the  very  ship  com- 
manded by  Captain  Clatworthy  during  the  Seven  Years' 
War,  both  as  a  privateer  and  as  a  slaver.  The  Liverpool 
paper  gives  the  following  account  of  the  ill-treatment  of 
Captain  Richard  Cassedy,  of  the  Priscilla,  who  was  taken 
by  the  General  Mifflin : — 

"These  sons  of  freedom  seized  all  the  captain's  clothes 
that  were  worth  anything-,  and  £88  in  cash  ;  every  one  of  his 
men  they  took  on  board  the  privateer,  plundered  the  vessel 
of  spare  rigging,  stores,  &c.,  and  one  bale  of  linen,  part  of 
the  cargo,  which  chiefly  consisted  of  yarn  ;  and  after  leaving 
several  of  the  crew  on  board,  ordered  the  captain  to  be  bound 
hand  and  foot,  and  put  into  confinement.  In  this  miserable 
situation  he  remained  until  the  igth  of  July,  when  his  vessel 
was  retook  by  the  Union,  letter  of  marque,  of  London,  within 
ten  leagues  of  Bordeaux,  and  carried  into  Fowey.  The 
privateer's  people  split  all  the  sails,  except  the  foresail,  by 
carrying,  whenever  they  saw  any  vessel.  Captain  Cassedy 
was  in  a  very  poor  state  of  health  when  they  arrived  at  Fowey, 
and  not  able  to  stand,  through  the  cruel  treatment  he  received. 
His  remaining  so  long  bound  occasioned  his  flesh  to  swell  to  a 
shocking  degree.  All  his  prayers  and  intreaties  were  in  vain  ; 
the  inhuman  tyrants  had  no  compassion.  Surely  the  fear  of  a 
single  man  retaking  the  vessel,  could  not  induce  them  to  this 
barbarity.  She  was  a  constant  Irish  trader,  had  not  a  single 
gun  on  board,  nor  ammunition,  or  warlike  weapons  of  any 
kind." 

Captain  Edward  Forbes,  of  the  ship  Sparling,  300  tons 
burthen  (carrying  10  six-pounders,  4  four-pounders,  and  8 
swivels),  belonging  to  Mr.  John  Sparling,  writing  from 
Kingston,  Jamaica,  on  July  23rd,  1777,  says  : — 


AMERICAN  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE.  211 

"  I  arrived  here  safe,  after  a  passage  of  six  weeks.  In 
crossing-  the  Bay,  I  saw  several  ships,  but  passed  none  without 
bringing  them  to,  boarding  and  examining  them.  Off  the 
Western  Islands  saw  a  brig  privateer,  who,  on  my  giving 
chase,  thought  proper  to  alter  his  course  and  make  the  best  of 
his  way.  I  saw  nothing  more  until  I  was  within  fifteen  leagues 
of  this  island,  where  I  was  attacked  by  a  large  privateer  sloop 
of  12  guns,  a  number  of  swivels,  blunderbusses,  and  full  of 
men.  They  attacked  me  at  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon, 
with  a  great  deal  of  vigour,  for  an  hour  and-a-half,  and  then 
sheered  off.  I  attempted  to  give  chace,  but  soon  found  she 
could  sail  two  feet  for  my  one.  She  then  got  her  graplins  out 
for  boarding  when  dark,  and  attempted  it  three  times,  but 
perceiving  his  intentions,  disappointed  him,  and  threw  him  off 
his  guard,  by  which  means  I  got  our  guns  to  bear,  which  made 
him  sheer  off  to  refit ;  this  I  was  not  sorry  for,  as  it  gave  us 
an  opportunity  to  do  the  same,  for  our  braces  and  running 
rigging  were  often  shot  away.  The  engagement  lasted  six 
hours.  Getting  all  my  guns  to  bear,  in  less  than  a  quarter  of 
an  hour  I  lost  sight  of  him.  The  ship  is  a  good  deal  damaged 
in  her  rigging,  sails,  and  hull,  but  no  lives  lost,  which  is  owing 
to  the  good  shelter  we  had  on  deck,  as  she  constantly  fired 
small  arms.  I  found  the  sloop'  had  great  advantage  over  us, 
we  being  square  rigged,  she  always  kept  on  my  quarters.  The 
Sparling's  sides  are  hard,  but  the  yankies  found  means  to  shew 
daylight  through  her  in  several  places,  but  hope  to  repair  her 
at  a  small  expence.  There  is  three  feet  of  the  starboard 
quarter  entirely  knocked  out,  and  some  shot  in  the  bends.  My 
men  behaved  during  the  action  with  the  greatest  courage,  and 
very  attentive  to  command." 

In  1778,  the  Sparling  took  a  prize  named  the  Isaac,  which 
was  recaptured  by  a  privateer,  which  in  its  turn  was  taken 
by  a  King's  ship. 

Captain  James  Collinson,  of  the  ship  Will,  writing  to  his 
owners  from  Dominica,  on  October  I3th,  1777,  says  :— 

"  I   congratulate   you   on   our  arrival   here,  on  the  8th  of 


212  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

October.  On  the  yth,  we  fell  in  with  a  rebel  privateer  sloop 
with  10  guns  and  16  swivels,  which  wre  defended  ourselves  from 
for  full  five  hours.  She  boarded  us  on  the  larboard  quarter 
with  twelve  men,  which  we  killed,  and  made  them  cry  out  for 
quarter  several  times,  but  still  kept  a  brisk  fire  upon  them,  and 
paid  no  regard  to  their  crying-  for  quarter,  as  they  still  had  their 
colours  up.  They  were  half  an  hour  under  our  quarter,  where 
we  made  them  fast  to  us.  By  their  cutting  their  ropes  they 
cleared  from  our  quarter;  then  we  stood  to  the  northward,  and 
cleared  ship  ready  for  them  again  ;  when  clear,  gave  chase,  and 
came  up  with  them,  gave  them  three  broadsides  and  three 
cheers,  and  left  them,  as  we  should  run  a  risk  of  losing  the  ship 
if  we  had  taken  them  all,  though  I  imagine  we  killed  40  or  50  of 
their  men  ;  and  by  information,  I  find  she  had  on  board  120. 

"  At  noon  the  same  day,  we  fell  in  with  a  schooner  of  14 
carriage  guns,  which  we  fought  for  six  hours,  and  gave  them 
the  same  as  above,  but  are  not  certain  what  number  of  men  we 
killed,  as  she  did  not  board  us,  but  was  prepared  with  stinkpots 
on  her  bowsprit  end.  We  should  have  sailed  for  Jamaica  in 
three  days  after  our  arrival,  but  for  the  damage  we  got  by  the 
sloop  ;  she  carried  all  the  iron  stantions  away  on  the  larboard 
quarter.  We  have  not  one  man  killed  or  wounded,  and  all 
behaved  like  true  Britons.  We  fired  the  small  arms  three  times 
for  their  twice,  and  every  man  obeyed  his  orders.  I  will  write 
you  more  particulars  from  Jamaica,  as  I  strained  my  forefinger 
on  my  right  hand  in  the  engagement,  but  came  to  no  more  hurt, 
although  there  was  a  swivel  ball  came  through  the  speaking 
trumpet  in  my  right  hand.  We  boarded  five  sail  coming  out, 
but  could  not  condemn  them." 

Immediately  on  the  Will's  arrival  at  Dominica,  the 
following  paper  was  subscribed  by  a  number  of  gentlemen, 
and  ,£72  6s.  collected. 

"For  the  encouragement  of  the  twenty-five  brave  fellows 
belonging  to  the  ship  Will,  Captain  Collinson,  who,  on  the  7th 
inst.,  gallantly  defended  the  said  ship  for  five  hours  against  a 
rebel  privateer  of  fourteen  carriage  guns  and  about  120  men, 


AMERICAN  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE.  213 

and  obliged  the  privateer  to  sheer  off;  likewise  a  schooner 
privateer  of  the  same  force.  We  subscribers  hereto,  have 
given  the  sum  opposite  to  our  respective  names." 

At  this  period,  on  the  arrival  of  privateers,  slave  ships,* 
and  other  armed  vessels  in  the  river,  it  was  customary  to 
salute  the  town  with  a  discharge  of  cannon,  which,  from 
negligence,  were  sometimes  loaded  with  ball.  For  the 
prevention  of  accidents,  the  following  order  was  issued  by 
the  magistrates  : — 

"The  late  alarming  circumstances  of  vessels  coming  from 
sea,  and  those  lying  in  the  river,  frequently  firing  balls  from 
their  cannon,  to  the  great  and  imminent  danger  of  the  lives 
and  property  of  the  inhabitants  of  this  town,  we,  the  grand 
jury,  having  a  power  invested  in  us  for  that  purpose,  do  order, 
that  every  captain,  or  any  other  commanding  officer  for  the 
time  being,  of  any  ship  or  vessel,  suffering  any  cannon  loaded 
with  ball,  or  any  other  shot  whatsoever,  to  be  fired  from  on 
board  such  ship  or  vessel,  after  such  ship  or  vessel  has  come 
round  the  Black  Rock,  shall  pay  twenty  pounds  for  every  and 
each  gun  so  fired,  loaded  with  ball  or  other  shot.  And  we 
farther  request,  that  this  order  may  be  publicly  printed  in  the 
newspaper,  that  no  person  may  plead  ignorance  thereof;  and 
we  recommend  that  the  penalty  hereby  inflicted  may  be  appro- 
priated to  the  fund  of  the  Seamen's  Hospital." 

In  a  letter  from  Captain  James  Wiseman,  of  the  Isabella, 
of  Liverpool,  dated  St.  Vincent's,  January  2oth,  1778,  is  the 
following  description  of  a  hot  engagement  between  her  and 
American  war  vessels  fitted  out  by  the  Congress  :— 

*  The  paper  of  November  I4th,  1777,  gives  an  instance  of  this  dangerous 
practice  of  firing  guns  when  entering  the  port,  adopted  by  the  slave  ships  :  — 
' '  Wednesday  before  last,  a  Guineaman  coming  in  and  firing,  a  shot  from  a  six- 
pounder  passed  very  near  a  servant  of  Richard  Parry  Price,  Esq.  ;  and  broke  a 
tree  near  to  his  pleasure  ground  at  Berkhead.  Care  certainly  ought  always  to  be 
taken  to  draw  the  shot  before  the  guns  are  fired  in  the  river.  Yet,  tho'  nothing 
can  be  more  absurd,  dangerous,  and  deserving  of  punishment  than  thus  firing  with 
shot,  this  is  the  third  instance  which  has  happened  lately.  One  of  the  shot 
passed  thro'  Water-Street  and  Dale-Street,  and  another  over  the  Old  Churchyard. 
So  imprudent  a  practice  should  be  checked  by  the  merchant  no  less  than  the 
magistrate."  Mr.  Price  was  lord  of  the  manor  of  Birkenhead. 


214  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

"We  sailed  from  Cork  i5th  December,  and  had  a  fine 
passag-e  of  four  weeks  ;  and  on  the  8th  January  met  with  an 
American  brig  privateer  of  16  guns,  and  fought  her  for  two 
hours  and  a  half,  yard  arm  and  yard  arm.  We  gave  her  the 
first  and  last  broadside.  I  believe  she  is  sunk.  We  had 
killed  Mr.  Godwin,  passenger,  and  John  Taylor,  seaman, 
and  wounded  John  Manesty  ;  third  mate  shot  in  the  hand, 
which  is  since  amputated,  and  he  is  likely  to  do  well ; 
Rowland  Evans  shot  in  the  leg,  since  amputated  and  he  is 
dead  ;  John  Jones  shot  twice  through  the  knee  ;  we  expect  he 
will  recover.  John  Webster  received  a  shot  in  the  thigh  and 
another  in  the  arm,  but  likely  to  do  well ;  six  or  seven  others 
slightly  wounded.  We  received  132  shots  in  our  hull  and 
masts,  a  six  pounder  went  through  our  mainmast,  six  foot 
above  deck,  and  four  others  higher  up,  and  our  main  top  mast 
almost  shattered  to  pieces,  three  shots  in  our  mizen  mast,  one 
of  them  about  six  foot  above  .deck,  and  numberless  in  our 
hull,  most  of  them  betwixt  wind  and  water,  and  all  our  rigging 
entirely  shot  away.  Our  Ensign  halyard  being  shot  away, 
and  the  Ensign  falling  down,  the  privateer  thought  I  had 
struck  and  gave  a  huzza.,  which  was  answered  by  a  broadside 
from  us.  The  Captain  hailed  me  to  strike,  telling  me  he 
would  never  leave  me,  which  I  believe  were  his  last  words,  for 
I  never  saw  or  heard  him  afterwards  ;  in  short,  the  engage- 
ment was  hot,  and  I  believe  fatal  to  them,  for  we  could  see 
them  falling  out  of  the  tops,  and  hear  their  shrieks  and  groans. 
It  falling  dark  and  our  rigging  being  cut  to  pieces,  we  could 
not  work  our  ship,  and  so  lost  our  prize.  The  next  day,  we 
were  chased  by  a  sloop,  but  when  she  came  within  view  of  our 
guns,  she  hauled  her  wind  and  run  away  ;  our  rigging  being 
gone,  we  were  in  no  condition  to  follow  her.  On  the  nth  we 
were  chased  by  a  brig  and  a  sloop,  who  soon  came  up  with  us 
(the  brig  first,  and  hailed  from  Halifax,  bound  on  a  cruize  to 
the  westward)  and  then  dropped  astern  to  his  consort,  when 
we  got  our  stern  chaces  to  bear  on  them  and  began  to  fire 
away,  our  people  still  in  good  spirits  ;  the  third  shot  we 
carried  away  the  brig's  cross  jackyard,  sent  several  shots  into 


AMERICAN  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE.  215 

her  bows  and  rigging",  and  beat  them  both  off.  The  brig- 
stayed  along-  side  of  us  for  two  hours,  and  told  me  that 
General  Burgoyne  and  his  army  were  defeated  by  the  rebels. 
The  next  day,  being-  the  i2th,  we  arrived  at  St.  Vincent's  and 
were  received  by  every  one  with  great  applause." 

The  following  additional  particulars  appeared  in  the  St. 
Vincent  Gazette  of  March  yth,  1778  :— 

"  The  brig  that  first  engaged  the  Isabella,  Captain  Wiseman, 
was  the  General  Sullivan,  Capt.  Darling,  of  14  guns,  4  and  6 
pounders,  fitted  out  by  the  Congress  ;  and  had  at  that  time,  by 
the  Captain's  account,  135  men  on  board,  most  of  whom  were 
able  seamen.  She  arrived  at  Martinico  a  few  days  after  the 
engagement  in  a  most  shattered  condition,  her  mainmast  so 
much  wounded  that  Capt.  Darling  was  obliged  to  get  another  ; 
the  bowsprit  carried  away,  and  the  hull,  rigging,  etc.,  greatly 
damaged.  Captain  Darling  says  he  had  eleven  men  killed  and 
twenty-three  wounded,  many  of  them  very  dangerously, — and 
gives  Capt.  Wiseman  and  the  crew  great  credit  for  their  spirited 
behaviour  and  good  conduct.  He  expressed  great  surprise 
when  he  found  the  Isabella  had  only  fifty  men  ;  acknowledged 
he  was  obliged  to  sheer  off,  and  that  it  was  the  second  drubbing 
he  had  got  from  Liverpool  men,  and  wished  not  to  meet  with 
any  more  armed  vessels  belonging  to  that  port.  There  is 
certainly  a  great  deal  of  propriety  in  his  remark,  as  the 
merchants  of  Liverpool  have  entered  more  into  the  spirit  of 
arming  ships  than  any  others  in  England,  in  the  present  contest. 
Being  a  mercantile  people,  they  choose  to  bear  the  additional 
expence,  rather  than  have  their  trade  annihilated,  which  has 
raised  their  town,  in  the  last  century,  from  an  obscure  fishing 
place  to  that  of  being  the  second  commercial  port  in  Great 
Britain.  The  second  brig  that  engaged  the  Isabella  was  the 
Resistance,  Captain  Tue,  of  14  guns  and  100  men,  and  the  sloop 
that  was  in  company  was  the  Rambler,  Capt.  Stanton,  of  10 
guns  and  70  men. 

"  The  zeal  and  loyalty  of  the  Merchants  of  Liverpool,  in 
favour  of  Government,"  says  Williamson's  Advertiser \   of 


216  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

February  27th,  1778,  "is  eminently  evinced  by  the  number 
of  vessels  they  have  already  armed  and  stationed  for  the 
annoyance  of  the  commerce  and  communication  with  the 
natural  enemies  of  Great  Britain.  The  following-  are  now 
cruising  in  the  American  seas,  on  the  coasts  of  Carolina 
and  Virginia,  the  Sarah  Goulburn,  Captain  Holland,  of  20 
six  and  nine-pounders  ;  the  Brilliant,  Captain  Priestman, 
of  20  six  and  nine-pounders  ;  the  Belcour,  Captain  Moore,  of 
18  six  and  nine-pounders  ;  the  Pole,  Captain  Maddock,  of 
1 8  six  and  nine-pounders  ;  and  the  Active  sloop,  Captain 
Powell,  of  12  four-pounders." 

In  February,  1778,  an  enquiry  took  place  before  the 
House  of  Lords,  as  to  the  amount  of  injury  done  to  British 
commerce  from  the  beginning  of  the  war,  in  which  it  was 
stated  that  the  number  of  vessels  destroyed  or  taken  since 
the  commencement  of  the  war  was  773,  or,  after  allowing 
for  those  retaken,  559  ;  that  their  value,  at  a  very  moderate 
computation,  was  ;£i, 800,000  ;  that  of  the  ships  thus  taken, 
247  were  engaged  in  the  West  India  trade  ;  that  all  articles 
imported  from  America  had  risen  enormously  in  price  ; 
tobacco  from  7^d.  to  25.  6d.  per  Ib.  ;  pitch  from  8s.  to  355. 
per  barrel,  and  tar,  turpentine,  oil,  and  pig  iron  in  the  same 
proportion.*  It  was  considered  a  sufficient  answer  to  this 
statement  to  show  that  the  English  cruisers  had  taken  904 
American  vessels,  of  the  value  of  ,£1,808,000.  "It  was 
forgotten,"  says  Baines,  "that  the  enormous  sums  taken 
from  the  merchants  of  England  were  not  transferred  to  the 
merchants  of  America  ;  nor  those  taken  from  the  merchants 
of  America  transferred  to  those  of  England;  but  that  the 
whole  were  taken  from  commerce  and  turned  into  prize- 
money." 

In  January,  1778,  Captain  Jolly,  in  the  Ellis,  on  the 
passage  from  New  York  to  Liverpool,  took  the  Endeavour, 

*  In  1777,  sugar  sold  in  Carolina  at  upwards  of £$  sterling  per  cwt. 


AMERICAN  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE.  217 

from  North  Carolina,  with  flour,  staves,  and  43  hogsheads 
of  tobacco,  and  the  Nancy,  from  Essequibo,  with  coffee, 
cotton,  and  115  hogsheads  of  rum.  Later  in  the  year, 
Captain  Jolly,  in  the  Gregson,  and  Captain  Washington,  in 
the  Ellis,  cruised  in  consort,  and  took  the  La  Ville  du  Cap, 
from  St.  Domingo  to  Nantz,  with  224  hogsheads,  6  tierces, 
and  12  barrels  of  sugar,  392  casks  and  275  boxes  of  coffee, 
1 6  bales  of  cotton,  45  barrels  of  rum,  and  6  barrels  of  indigo. 
Their  next  prize  was  LI Aigle,  "a  large  new  snow,  70  feet 
keel  and  24  feet  beam,  pierced  for  16  guns,"  from  Port-au- 
Prince  for  Nantz,  with  sugar,  cotton,  indigo,  coffee,  etc.  In 
October,  the  Gregson  took  a  privateer  sloop  of  10  guns, 
eight  swivels,  and  64  men,  threw  the  guns  overboard, 
dismantled  her  by  taking  on  board  her  swivels,  small  arms, 
spare  sails,  cables,  etc.,  and  sent  her  home.  On  October  23rd, 
the  Gregson  boarded  a  snow  with  passengers,  belonging  to 
St.  Pierre  and  Miquelon,  but  they  had  a  pass  from  Admiral 
Montague,  to  go  unmolested  to  France.  On  the  following 
day,  the  Gregson  captured  the  snow  La  Genevieve,  from 
Nantz  to  St.  Domingo,  laden  with  wines,  flour,  etc.  The 
Ellis  also  took  the  snow  Josephine,  bound  for  Dunkirk, 
loaded  with  oil,  soap,  brimstone,  casks  of  straw  hats,  and 
boxes  of  lemon.  ' <  Yesterday, "  says  the  paper  of  November 
27th,  "  arrived  here  the  Gregson,  Captain  Jolly,  from  a 
cruize,  and  brought  in  with  her  a  large  ship  bound  from  St. 
Domingo  to  Nantz.  This  is  the  sixth  prize,  the  Gregson  and 
Ellis,  who  sailed  in  consort,  have  taken ;  three  of  them  fine 
ships  from  St.  Domingo  to  France."  In  May,  1779,  we  read 
that  the  Ellis,  Captain  Washington,  "  who  had  sent  into 
Liverpool  five  valuable  prizes,"  had  been  captured,  and 
carried  into  Martinico,  and  in  March,  1780,  it  is  stated  that 
the  Ellis  had  been  re-taken  by  Admiral  Parker.  She  was 
a  vessel  of  340  tons  burthen,  carrying  28  guns  and  130  men ; 
the  Gregson,  of  250  tons,  carried  24  guns  and  120  men. 
Both  vessels  belonged  to  Messrs.  Boats  and  Gregson. 


218  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

The  Clarendon,  Captain  Amery,  arrived  at  Jamaica  from 
Liverpool,  with  a  fine  brig,  called  the  Defense,  from  New 
London  for  Martinico,  with  staves,  lumber,  etc.,  which  she 
had  captured  on  her  passage. 

A  Liverpool  vessel,  commanded  by  Thomas  White,  fell  in 
with  an  American  privateer,  of  14  guns,  and  upwards  of  100 
men,  to  windward  of  Antigua.  For  some  reason,  Captain 
White's  people  refused  to  fight,  whereupon  the  brave 
commander  blew  his  vessel  up,  and  only  ten  of  the  crew 
were  saved,  and  put  on  board  a  Dutch  vessel. 

The  Tom,  of  12  six-pounders,  Captain  Lee,  arrived  at 
New  York,  after  a  passage  of  eight  weeks,  from  Liverpool, 
during  which  he  captured  two  vessels  loaded  with  fish  and 
lumber,  and  a  schooner  of  10  guns  and  upwards  of  40  men. 
As  he  could  not  spare  a  prize  crew  to  take  the  schooner 
home,  he  took  out  her  guns,  disabled  her  mainmast,  and 
providing  "the  rebels"  with  bread  and  water,  turned  her 
adrift.  Soon  afterwards,  he  met  another  privateer  of  12 
guns,  which  he  fought  for  over  an  hour,  and  would  have 
taken  her  had  she  not  greatly  outsailed  him.  In  1779,  the 
Tom  arrived  at  Antigua  with  a  prize  laden  with  fish  and  oil, 
and  in  February,  1781,  he  captured  the  De  Koningin  Esther, 
laden  with  200  hogsheads  of  sugar,  1,000  bags  of  coffee,  300 
bags  of  tobacco,  100  bags  of  cocoa,  300  hides,  and  24  casks 
of  indigo  ;  and  also  the  Jacobus,  with  140  casks  of  sugar, 
1,400  bags  of  coffee,  48  casks  of  indigo,  100  bags  of  tobacco, 
200  bags  of  cocoa,  and  1,200  hides.  A  few  months  later, 
the  Tom,  in  company  with  the  Greyhound,  captured  a  French 
cutter  of  1 6  guns  and  120  men,  and  carried  her  into  London- 
derry. The  cutter  had  four  ransomers  for  150  guineas  on 
board. 

"The  Liberty,  Wardlaw,  and  the  Prince  George,  Gardner, 
both  from  Martinico,  are  safe  arrived  here,"  says  the  news- 
paper of  March  2oth,  1778.  "  They  being  both  defenceless 
and  arriving  safe  without  molestation,  we  may  reasonably 


AMERICAN  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE.  219 

presume  the  privateers  are  not  so  numerous,  at  least  in  the 
homeward  bound  track." 

The  John,  Captain  Watkins,  and  the  Suffolk,  Captain 
Bower,  both  missing  ships,  from  Liverpool  bound  for  New 
York,  arrived  safe  at  Antigua,  having  captured  a  large 
schooner  laden  with  tobacco,  etc. 

The  Sally,  Captain  Smith,  upon  a  cruise  in  the  West 
Indies,  took  an  American  vessel  loaded  with  timber,  and 
sunk  a  privateer  of  12  guns  ;  and  another  ship,  belonging  to 
Liverpool,  took  three  prizes  on  the  coast  of  Carolina.  The 
Toms,  Captain  Houghton,  also  cruising  in  the  West  Indies, 
took  a  schooner  laden  with  spermaceti,  candles,  etc. 

The  Lydia,  Captain  Evans,  on  her  passage  from  New 
York  to  Barbadoes,  took  a  very  valuable  ship  loaded  with 
masts,  etc. 

The  Richard,  Captain  Lyon,  arrived  at  New  York  from 
Liverpool,  with  a  prize  worth  ,£4,000,  taken  on  the  passage. 

The  Sparling,  Captain  Denny,  arrived  at  Philadelphia, 
with  a  vessel  from  Charleston  for  Amsterdam,  loaded  with 
rice,  etc.,  which  she  had  captured. 

The  Mersey,  Captain  Gibbons,  on  her  passage  to  Phila- 
delphia, took  a  schooner  bound  to  Boston,  loaded  with 
coffee,  molasses,  etc. 

In  February,  1778,  the  Fanny,  Captain  James  Wignall, 
arrived  in  Liverpool  from  Philadelphia,  after  a  passage  of 
thirty-one  days,  bringing  in  35  American  prisoners  taken 
out  of  an  American  privateer,  captured  by  her  on  the 
passage,  and  ordered  for  Liverpool.  The  Fanny  was  herself 
taken  in  the  following  July  near  Sandy  Hook,  on  her  pas- 
sage from  Liverpool  to  New  York,  by  one  of  the  French 
fleet  under  Count  d'Estaign.  The  following  account  of 
the  usage  of  the  prisoners  by  the  French  was  written  by 
Captain  Wignall  : — 

"About  seven  in  the  evening  the  Langezant  frig-ate  of  36 

guns  took  us.       As    soon    as  the   boat  came  alongside,   we 


220  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

were  hurried  into  it,  without  clothes  or  bedding,  the  officer 
promising-  us  all  our  clothes,  &c. ,  should  be  safe,  and  that  we 
should  have  them  in  the  morning.  We  were  carried  on  board 
the  frig-ate,  and  remained  there  about  an  hour,  then  part  of  us 
were  sent  on  board  the  Languedoc,  Count  d'Estaign's  ship. 
They  put  us  down  in  the  forehold  altogether,  and  about  five 
in  the  morning  ordered  us  up  on  the  forecastle,  where  an 
officer  came  and  searched  us  all  one  by  one,  all  our  pockets, 
shoes  and  stockings,  &c. ,  and  took  from  us  all  our  money, 
watches,  papers,  &c. ,  then  ordered  us  down  into  the  hold 
again,  where  we  were  almost  smothered,  and  not  so  much  as 
a  drink  of  water.  About  noon,  I  made  a  motion  to  the 
sentinel  to  permit  me  to  go  upon  deck  on  a  necessary  occasion, 
which  was  granted.  I  then  went  upon  the  quarter  deck,  where 
I  found  an  officer  that  could  understand  English.  I  desired 
that  we  might  have  permission  to  come  on  deck  to  have  air, 
and  that  we  might  have  some  provisions  and  water;  the  answer 
was  we  had  been  forgot.  We  were  then  ordered  upon  the 
poop,  and  had  served  us  some  bread  and  stinking  cheese,  half 
a  pint  of  wine  and  half  a  pint  of  water  per  man.  About  two 
in  the  afternoon,  an  officer  came  to  me,  and  asked  for  the  key 
of  the  strong  box,  as  he  called  it,  (that  was  the  chest  where 
the  money  was) ;  I  told  him  the  key  was  on  board  the  prize, 
and  if  he  would  permit  me  to  go  there,  I  would  get  it.  A  boat 
was  immediately  manned,  and  we  went  on  board,  but  when  I 
was  on  board,  he  would  not  permit  me  to  bring  my  clothes  or 
bedding  with  me. 

"The  next  morning  I  saw  the  Admiral,  Count  d'Estaign. 
I  went  to  him  and  begged  the  favour  of  him  to  permit  us  to 
go  on  board  the  prize  for  our  clothes,  which  was  granted  for 
four  of  us  to  go,  and  was  immediately  done  ;  but  when  we 
came  on  board,  found  our  clothes  and  bedding  all  gone. 
What  chests  were  left  were  all  empty,  and  we  all  returned 
as  we  went.  We  then  made  out  a  petition,  and  I  presented 
it  to  the  Count,  setting  forth  our  distresses.  He  then  gave 
me  an  order  to  go  on  board  the  frigate,  and  have  her  searched 
for  our  clothes.  I  went  on  board,  and  the  captain  ordered 


AMERICAN  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE.  221 

one  of  his  officers  to  go  down  and  search  for  them,  but  all  to 
no  purpose,  as  they  would  not  find  any  of  them,  and  that  was 
not  the  worst,  for  several  of  my  men  had  part  of  their  clothes 
stripped  off  their  backs. 

"  August  2,  about  noon,  we  landed  on  Point  Judith,  245  in 
number  ;  at  four  in  the  afternoon  began  our  march  towards 
Providence  ;  at  eight  arrived  at  North  Kingston  ;  about  nine 
had  a  little  raw  salt  pork  and  bread  served  us,  that  being  the 
first  victuals  we  had  tasted  that  day.  The  ground  that  night 
was  our  bed,  the  clouds  our  covering. 

"  August  3,  at  seven  in  the  morning,  we  began  our  march ; 
at  eleven  arrived  at  a  town  called  Greenwich.  We  halted  four 
hours,  it  being  very  hot,  but  nothing  to  be  got  to  eat.  About 
three  in  the  afternoon  we  moved  forward,  at  nine  arrived  at 
Providence,  and  were  put  into  the  market-house  for  that 
night ;  we  had  walked  thirty  miles  that  day,  but  nothing  to 
eat.  At  six  in  the  morning  we  were  turned  out,  and  marched 
through  the  streets  into  a  yard  to  be  viewed  and  mustered. 
At  about  nine  we  were  marched  down  to  the  river  near  the 
bridge,  embarked  in  boats  and  sent  down  the  river  and  put  on 
board  a  ship  called  the  Aurora,  lying  at  Fox's  Point,  where 
we  were  confined  altogether,  in  number  225.  About  four  in  the 
evening  we  had  some  beef  and  bread  sent  down  to  us,  having 
then  been  forty-five  hours  without  victuals  or  drink,  except 
water ;  and  when  we  complained,  they  comforted  us  with 
saying  we  were  too  well  used,  with  several  other  speeches  to 
the  same  purpose  and  mortification.  The  ship  had  no  cover- 
ing for  her  hatchways,  and  when  it  rained  there  was  scarce  a 
dry  place  to  be  found  under  deck,  and  nothing  to  lie  on  but 
the  bare  planks.  We  then  lived  middling  for  three  weeks, 
then  were  put  to  one  quarter  allowance  for  twelve  days  ;  after 
that  to  half  allowance  for  sixteen  days.  We  then  petitioned 
General  Sullivan,  telling  him  we  were  nearly  starving  for  want. 
He  then  ordered  us  full  allowance,  which  was  continued  as 
long  as  we  stayed  there,  but  the  provisions  very  often  were  so 
bad,  that  nothing  but  hunger  could  make  us  eat  them. 

"  October  7,  we  were  put  on  shore  out  of  the  prison  ship, 


222  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

and  marched  about  five  miles  on  our  way  towards  New  London, 
where  we  arrived  the  i2th.  On  the  i5th,  were  marched  back 
again  to  Norwig ;  the  22nd,  were  marched  back  to  New 
London,  and  on  the  23rd  were  embarked  on  board  the 
Carlisle,  and  on  the  28th  arrived  at  New  York." 

In  1778,  the  Belcour,  Captain  Moore,  on  her  passage  to 
Jamaica  took  a  schooner  valued  at  ,£1,200,  and  some  time 
later  a  French  brig  with  salt  and  bale  goods,  worth  ,£2,500. 
A  letter  dated  Old  Harbour,  May  gth,  1779,  gives  the 
following  account  of  a  terrible  catastrophe  which  attended 
the  capture  of  this  ship  :— 

"  In  our  passage  from  Halifax  to  Jamaica,  we  unfortunately 
fell  in  with  a  French  frigate  off  Coycas,  one  of  the  Bahama 
Islands,  called  the  Minerva,  taken  from  the  English  about 
five  months  before.  We  engaged  her  full  two  hours  and  an 
half,  the  furthest  distance  she  was  off  was  not  more  than 
pistol  shot,  a  great  part  of  the  time  yard  arm  and  yard  arm, 
as  we  term  it,  but  that  you  may  better  understand  it,  her  sides 
and  ours  touched  each  other,  so  that  sometimes  we  could  not 
draw  our  rammers.  The  French,  I  assure  you,  we  drove 
twice  from  their  quarters,  but  unluckily  their  wadds  set  us  on 
fire  in  several  places,  and  then  we  were  obliged  to  strike.  You 
may  consider  our  condition,  our  ship  on  fire,  our  sails,  masts 
and  rigging  being  all  cut  to  pieces,  several  of  our  men  severely 
mangled.  The  French  seeing  our  ship  on  fire,  would  not 
come  to  our  assistance  for  fear  of  the  ship  blowing  up,  as  soon 
as  the  fire  reached  the  magazine,  which  it  did  five  minutes 
after  I  was  out  of  her.  The  sight  was  dreadful,  as  there  was 
many  poor  souls  on  board.  You  will  be  anxious  to  know 
how  we  that  were  saved  got  out  of  her.  We  hove  the  small 
boat  overboard  in  a  shattered  condition,  being  almost  shot  to 
pieces,  and  made  two  or  three  trips  on  board  the  frigate  before 
she  blew  up.  The  next  morning,  we  picked  up  four  men  that 
were  on  pieces  of  the  wreck.  The  following  is  a  list  of  the 
unfortunate  men  who  lost  their  lives  :  William  Ion,  second 
mate  ;  Peter  Thompson,  third  mate  ;  Daniel  Gibson,  surgeon  ; 


AMERICAN  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE.  223 

John  Lyon,  surgeon's  mate  ;  Thomas  Anderson,  Wm.  Wood, 
Absolom  Crippin,  Lawlens  Madget,  John  Kelly,  William 
Crowby,  James  Carey,  James  Wrinkle,  Edward  Mahoney, 
Richd.  Wellsted,  George  Cample,  seamen  ;  three  negroes  and 
a  child,  passengers." 

In   April,    1778,   the  famous  corsair,   John    Paul   Jones, 
cruised    in    the    Irish    Channel    in    the   Ranger  privateer, 
committing  much  havoc.    He  sailed  boldly  into  the  harbour 
of  Whitehaven,  and  set  fire  to  the  shipping.    He  then  sailed 
northward,   and  afterwards   landed    in   the   Scottish    Isles, 
remaining  on  the  coast  for  a  considerable  time,  but  occasion- 
ally taking  refuge  in  the  French  and   Dutch   ports  when 
hard  pressed  by  English  cruisers,  or  when  short  of  supplies. 
More   fortunate   than    his    predecessor,    M.    Thurot,    Paul 
Jones  escaped  all  attempts  at  capture,  and  retired  safe  to 
America  with  his  booty.     Liverpool  was  well  prepared  to 
give  the  daring  adventurer  a  fitting  reception.      "  We  have 
the  pleasure  to  inform  the  public,"  says  the  paper  of  May 
ist,  1778,  "that  there  are  two  grand  batteries  here  of  27 
eighteen-pounders,   in  excellent  order  for  the  reception  of 
any  mad  invader  whose  rashness  may  prompt  him  to  attempt 
to  disturb  the  tranquility  of  this  town.     George's  battery  is 
commanded  by  the    Mayor,  and  the  Queen's   by  Captain 
Hutchinson,  both  of  them   accustomed  to  the  thunder  of 
cannon,    as   are   also    the    several    captains   and  assistants 
stationed  to  each  gun,   which  are    shoted,   etc.     Centeries 
are  fixt,  and  all  the  requisites  so  regulated  as  to  be  ready 
for  action  at  the  shortest  notice.     The  King's  battery  for 
thirty-two-pounders  is  preparing  with  expedition,  under  the 
direction    of    Lieutenant-Colonel    Gordon,    an    experienced 
engineer.       To  these  securities  will  be  added  the  Hycena 
frigate,  a  King's  ship  built  here,  which  in  a  day  or  two  will 
be  fit  for  sea,  and  will  be  moor'd  in  the  river;  for  our  security 
by    land   we    have   two   companies  of  Veterans,   and  four 
companies  of  the  Liverpool  Blues,  commanded  by  General 


224  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

Calcraft,  who  resides  in  Liverpool."  The  following  vessels 
were  afterwards  sent  to  cruise  in  St.  George's  Channel  : — the 
Thetis,  32  guns  ;  the  Stag,  28  ;  the  Boston,  28;  the  Heart  of 
Oak,  the  Satisfaction,  and  the  Three  Brothers,  all  of  20  guns. 

Early  in  1778,  the  Active,  of  14  guns  and  80  men,  Captain 
John  Powell,  upon  a  cruise  on  the  coast  of  America,  took 
no  less  than  fourteen  prizes,  mostly  loaded  with  tobacco 
and  rice,  and  sent  them  into  St.  Augustine.  In  September 
of  the  same  year,  the  Liverpool  paper  stated  that  the  Active 
had  been  very  successful  on  her  second  cruise,  having 
carried  into  St.  Augustine  a  large  brig  loaded  with  1 100 
tierces  of  rice  and  indigo,  and  a  schooner  with  72  hogsheads  of 
tobacco,  and  it  was  supposed  that  she  had  had  further  success. 

"  Last  week,"  says  the  Liverpool  Advertiser,  of  September 
25th,  1778,  "arrived  here  the  Santa  Maria,  from  Barcelona 
for  Honfleur,  loaded  with  brandy,  etc.,  taken  by  the  Wasp 
privateer,  belonging  to  this  port  ;  and  on  Friday,  the 
Minerva,  from  Hispaniola  for  Dunkirk,  taken  by  the  Sarah 
Goulburn,  in  the  Bay  of  Biscay,  with  upwards  of  118  hogs- 
heads of  tobacco,  etc.,  on  board  ;  and  yesterday  the  Sarah 
Goulburn  arrived  here  with  another  prize  called  the  Amiable 
Magdalaine,  from  Guadaloupe  for  Nantz  ;  her  cargo  con- 
sists of  595  hhds.  of  sugar,  1 19  casks  of  coffee,  145 
bales  of  cotton,  1600  Ib.  of  ivory,  and  some  dollars  ;  also 
the  Lady  Granby  privateer,  with  a  fine  brig,  called  the 
Lady  Louisa,  that  she  had  taken,  from  Newfoundland  to 
Bordeaux,  laden  with  fish." 

In  1779,  the  Sarah  Goulburn,  Captain  Lewtas,  fell  in  with 
a  tobacco  ship,  and  chased  her  eight  hours,  but  by  heaving 
a  great  part  of  her  cargo  overboard  she  got  away.  In  1780, 
she  took  a  shallop,  loaded  with  coffee,  and  in  1781,  on  a 
cruise  from  New  York,  she  captured  two  vessels,  one  from 
France,  and  the  other  from  Holland  ;  and  soon  after 
arrived  at  Jamaica  with  a  Dutchman  of  400  tons,  laden 
with  sugar,  etc.,  which  she  had  captured. 


AMERICAN  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE.  225 

In  September,  1778,  the  Lady  Granby  privateer,  brought 
into  the  Mersey,  a  French  snow,  called  Le  Bon  Chretien, 
loaded  with  fish  and  oil  from  Newfoundland.  On  the  2nd 
of  October,  we  are  told  that  "several  ladies  of  the  first  rank 
are  about  following  the  patriotic  plan  of  the  Marchioness  of 
Granby,  by  opening  subscriptions  for  fitting  out  privateers, 
and  it  is  expected,  in  a  very  little  time,  several  will  be 
manned  and  sent  to  sea  against  our  perfidious  enemies, 
merely  by  British  pin-money."  Lady  Granby  was  very 
popular  in  Liverpool.  The  privateer  named  after  her,  the 
"  Marchioness  of  Granby"  of  260  tons,  20  guns,  and  130 
men,  was  owned  by  the  Marquis  of  Granby  and  Mr.  Nicholas 
Ashton.  There  was  a  smaller  privateer,  called  the  "Lady 
Granby"  of  45  tons,  10  guns,  and  60  men,  owned  by  Messrs. 
Ashton  &  Co.,  in  which  the  Granbys  doubtless  had  an 
interest.  On  June  :8th,  1779,  we  read  that  the  sloop  Lady 
Granby,  Capt.  Powell,  took  and  carried  into  Antigua,  a 
French  snow,  laden  with  salt,  dry  goods,  wine,  and 
brandy. 

In  December,  1778,  the  Marchioness  of  Granby,  Capt. 
Rogers,  captured  a  Dutch  ship  with  a  French  cargo  on 
board,  and  sent  her  for  Liverpool,  but  the  prize  was  lost  on 
the  coast  of  Ireland,  all  but  two  of  a  crew  of  fourteen 
perishing.  On  the  2Oth  of  January,  1779,  the  Marchioness 
of  Granby,  cruising  in  latitude  44.34  N.,  took  the  Le  Labour, 
from  St.  Malo  to  New  England,  with  sundry  merchandize, 
also  a  Dutch  snow  for  Cadiz,  with  a  cargo  of  brandy.  The 
Marchioness  of  Granby  was  captured,  after  an  obstinate 
engagement,  by  the  French  frigate  Sensible,  26  guns,  and 
carried  into  Brest. 

In  Williamson's  Advertiser,  of  October  23rd,  1778, 
appeared  the  following  tribute  to  the  charms  of  Lady 
Granby,  who  in  the  spring  of  the  following  year  "was 
safely  delivered  of  a  son  at  the  Marquis's  house  in  Har- 
rington Street." 


226  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

TO  THE  MARCHIONESS  OF  GRANBY. 

In  beauteous  Granby  nature  sure  design'd 
The  fairest  form  to  clothe  the  sweetest  mind  : 
She  joins  in  Granby,  courteous,  great  and  good, 
The  brightest  virtues  with  the  noblest  blood  ; 
And  from  her  heart,  so  generous  and  humane, 
Impels  benevolence  through  every  vein. 
What  graceful  affability  and  ease  ! 
How  great  the  power,  how  kind  the  wish  to  please  ! 
Go  on,  fair  excellence,  to  charm  mankind, 
Your  beauteous  face  the  transcript  of  your  mind  ; 
Teach  them  what  praise  to  virtue's  charms  belongs, 
And  live  a  lesson  to  admiring  throngs  ; 
That  wondering  courts  may  this  great  truth  relate, 
Virtue  adds  lustre  to  the  noblest  state. 

In  the  same  month,  "  An  Old  Seaman  "  issued  the  follow- 
ing "  Invitation  "  :— 

Rouse,  British  Tars  !  Old  England's  boast, 

Drive  all  her  foes  on  either  coast — 

Let  Lewis  know  and  feel  that  we 

Can  yet  avenge  his  perfidy, 

While  Keppel  has  the  Key  of  Brest. 

Be  Ready,  Lads—  slip  out  in  quest 
Of  riches  bound  to  faithless  France, 
And  bravely  take  another  chance. 

Revenge  and  Riches  both  invite 
A  Foe  insidious  to  requite  ; 
May  your  attempts,  my  willing  Boys, 
Be  crowned  with  Honor,  Wealth  and  Joys  ! 
On  the  25th  of  September,  1778,  Williamson's  Advertiser 
published  a  list  of  18  privateers  fitted  out  in  Liverpool,  in 
addition  to  which  there  were  many  others  preparing  for  sea, 
besides  several  "Letters  of  Marque,"  carrying  from   16  to 
28  guns.    It  was  computed  that  at  that  date — not  five  weeks 
since  letters  of  marque  were  issued — prizes  worth  upwards 
of  ;£ioo,ooo  had  been  brought  into  the  port. 


AMERICAN  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE.  227 

In  September,  the  Jenny,  Captain  Ashton,  in  her  passage 
from  Liverpool  to  Tortola,  in  company  with  the  Betsey  and 
the  Buckingham,  of  Lancaster,  captured  a  very  valuable 
prize  called  Le  Marquis  de  Brancas,  bound  from  St. 
Domingo  for  Nantz,  with  a  cargo  of  sugar,  coffee,  indigo,  etc. ; 
also  a  brig  from  Newfoundland  for  Havre,  with  fish,  and 
sent  both  of  them  into  Cork.  The  Jenny  carried  12  guns 
and  30  men,  and  was  owned  by  Messrs.  Ashton  &  Co.,  of 
the  Island  of  Tortola. 

In  the  paper  of  December  4th,  we  read  that  the  Bellona, 
Captain  Fairweather,  a  vessel  of  250  tons  burthen,  24  guns 
and  140  men,  belonging  to  Messrs.  Bolden  &  Co.,  on  a 
cruise  from  Liverpool,  took  a  schooner  loaded  with  75 
hogsheads  of  tobacco,  and  sent  her  for  Liverpool,  but 
unluckily  she  got  ashore  in  Carnarvon  Bay  and  bulged.  On 
the  i8th  of  the  same  month,  it  is  stated  that  the  Bellona  had 
taken  a  sloop  called  the  Canister,  bound  from  Virginia  to 
France,  with  58  hogsheads  of  tobacco.  On  January  3ist, 
1779,  the  Bellona  carried  into  Lisbon  the  snow  U Amitie,  of 
1 8  guns,  10  swivels,  and  54  men,  bound  from  St.  Ubes  to 
South  Carolina,  with  a  cargo  of  salt,  wine,  oil,  fruit,  soap, 
and  several  chests,  supposed  to  be  arms.  In  April,  1779, 
she  took  a  ship  called  the  Necessary,  and  in  May,  1780,  it 
was  stated  that  she  had  arrived  at  Jamaica  with  a  prize 
valued  at  ^4000. 

The  following  is  extracted  from  the  log  of  the  Bellona, 
on  her  passage  from  Lisbon  to  Liverpool,  in  April,  1779:— 

"  April  25th.  Gave  chace  and  spoke  the  snow  Vro-w 
Theadora,  from  Barcelona  to  Rotterdam  ;  spoke  a  Dutch  ship 
from  Barcelona  bound  to  Amsterdam  ;  27th,  saw  two  sail,  one 
astern  chasing  us,  the  other  under  the  lee  bow  ;  away  to  the 
.ship  under  the  lee,  he  laying-  by  under  English  colours,  fired 
two  guns  to  leeward,  which  he  answered  with  two  to  wind- 
ward. Made  sail  and  stood  from  him,  he  still  firing  shot  and 
standing  after  us  under  English  colours.  The  said  ship 


228  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVA  TEERS. 

mounted  24  guns  upon  one  deck,  and  six  on  the  quarter  deck, 
being-  a  long  frigate-built  ship,  with  a  plain  stern  and  gilt 
image  head.  2gth,  fell  in  and  spoke  the  Vroiv  Theadora  that  we 
spoke  the  25th.  3oth,  saw  a  sail  standing  towards  us  ;  down 
steering  sails  and  stood  towards  her  ;  came  near,  when  she 
put  about  and  stood  from  us,  making  and  shortening  sail,  as 
she  out-sailed  us,  and  never  would  come  near  ;  hove  about 
but  she  did  not  follow.  Seeing  that,  kept  the  ship  her  course, 
and  in  a  short  time  she  came  down  towards  us  ;  shortened 
sail,  when  she  hoisted  American  colours  and  fired  a  gun, 
which  was  returned  several  times  with  the  nine  pounders. 
As  they  scarcely  reached  her  then,  she  made  sail,  when  we 
crowded  all  after  her,  but  the  wind  being  light,  she  got  away. 
By  the  description  of  the  vessel  in  Lisbon,  she  is  called  the 
Vengeance,  fitted  out  at  Vigo,  in  Spain,  mounting  20  guns, 
very  low,  with  an  image  head.  May  ist,  spoke  the  ship 
Tartar,  Captain  Lloyd,  from  Bristol  ;  out  five  weeks,  had 
taken  nothing.  5th,  at  four  a.m.  saw  a  sail  one  mile  and  half 
under  our  lee  quarter.  Perceiving  her  to  be  a  very  large 
frigate-built  ship,  in  chace  of  us,  thought  it  prudent  to  run, 
as  having  many  people  ill ;  in  nine  hours  near  out  of  sight, 
when  she  left  off  chace.  6th,  spoke  the  St.  Bees  bark,  belonging 
to  Whitehaven,  Capt.  Williamson,  from  Cork,  bound  to  New 
York  ;  sailed  in  a  convoy  of  24  sail,  out  18  days  ;  lost  the 
fleet  2gth  April,  yth,  at  seven  a.m.  saw  a  sail  bearing  down 
upon  us,  shortened  sail  to  wait  for  her,  proved  to  be  the  Tyger, 
Capt.  Shaw,  from  Bristol,  mounting  22  guns,  out  eleven  weeks, 
and  taken  one  St.  Domingo  man." 

On  the  28th  of  September,  1778,  a  large  ship,  bound  from 
Archangel  for  Marseilles,  laden  with  tar,  hemp,  and  iron, 
arrived  in  the  Mersey,  a  prize  to  the  Delight,  Capt.  Dawson, 
a  vessel  of  120  tons,  12  guns,  and  39  men,  belonging  to 
Messrs.  Rawlinson  &  Co. 

The  St.  Peter,  Capt.  Holland,  upon  a  cruise  from  Liver- 
pool, fell  in  with  and  captured  a  French  East  Indiaman, 
called  the  Aquilone,  valued  at  upwards  of  ,£200,000,  but 


AMERICAN  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE.  229 

most  unfortunately,  Capt.  Holland  and  his  prize  afterwards 
met  with  a  French  man-of-war  of  74  guns,  and  a  frigate, 
who  took  him  and  his  prize,  and  carried  them  into  Port 
L'Orient.  The  St.  Peter,  320  tons,  22  guns,  and  147  men, 
was  owned  by  Messrs.  Holme,  Bowyer,  &  Kennion. 

The  Thomas  Hall,  Capt.  Beard,  one  of  the  fleet  from 
Jamaica  for  Liverpool,  having  parted  with  the  convoy  in  a 
gale  of  wind,  had  the  good  fortune  to  capture  a  ship  loaded 
with  rum,  which  she  carried  safely  to  Cork. 

The  Rumbold,  Captain  Fayrer,  a  vessel  of  250  tons 
burthen,  20  guns,  and  57  men,  owned  by  Messrs.  Caruthers 
&  Co.,  captured  a  large  ship  from  Alicant,  with  a  cargo  of 
brandy.  In  1779,  on  her  passage  from  Liverpool  to  Africa, 
she  took  a  French  Guineaman  called  the  Ulysses,  with  302 
slaves,  and  about  two  tons  and-a-half  of  ivory  on  board.  In 
April,  1781,  the  Fortuna  of  Flensburg,  laden  with  fruit  and 
wine,  another  prize  to  the  Rumbold,  arrived  in  the  Mersey. 
On  the  i4th  of  October,  1778,  the  cooper  of  the  Brilliant, 
20  guns,  Captain  Priestman,  wrote  from  New  York,  as 
follows  : — 

"  We  arrived  here  on  the  26th  of  September,  after  a  passage 
of  ten  weeks.  On  the  i6th  of  Sept.  in  lat.  38  N.  long.  65  W. 
we  had  a  very  hard  engagement  with  an  American  privateer  of 
28  guns,  which  lasted  for  nine  glasses,  when  the  privateer  ran 
away  ;  and  being  a  faster  sailing  vessel  than  ours,  we  could 
not  come  up  with  her,  having  great  part  of  our  rigging  shot 
away,  and  our  masts  wounded.  I  believe  she  was  much  worse 
shattered  than  us.  We  had  three  people  wounded.  I  was 
shot  in  the  hand  by  a  piece  of  cross-bar  shot,  but  am  mending 
fast.  On  our  passage,  we  saw  several  privateers,  but  none 
durst  engage  us  but  the  one  mentioned  before.  We  were 
dogged  two  days  by  two  privateers  and  sloops,  but  imagine 
they  did  not  like  our  appearance,  as  they  would  not  come  near 
us.  Our  ships  of  war  and  cruisers  are  bringing  in  here  French 
and  American  prizes  daily." 
As  security  against  privateers,  all  vessels  were  ordered  to 


230  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

sail  under  convoy,  and  in  large  fleets.  In  the  third  week  in 
September,  1778,  it  was  announced  that  all  the  principal 
fleets  had  arrived  safely,  namely,  the  Jamaica  fleet  at  Liver- 
pool and  Bristol  ;  the  Leeward  Islands  fleet  at  Plymouth, 
and  the  Lisbon  and  Spanish  fleets  in  the  Downs.  The 
arrivals  that  week  were  the  largest  that  had  been  known  for 
many  years.  In  October,  the  London  underwriters  cal- 
culated that  the  losses  sustained  by  the  French  since  the 
proclamation  of  reprisals  already  amounted  to  upwards  of 

;£  I,  2OO,OOO. 

The  Two  Brothers,  Captain  Ralph  Fisher,  a  vessel  of  150 
tons,  16  guns  and  39  men,  sailed  for  a  cruise  in  company 
with  the  Young  Henry,  Captain  Currie,  of  270  tons,  18  guns 
and  60  men,  belonging  to  Messrs.  Hartley  &  Co.  The 
following  letter  was  received  from  Captain  Fisher  by  Messrs. 
Roberts  &  Co.,  the  owners  of  the  Two  Brothers: — 

"  Ship  Two  Brothers,  at  Spithead,  3rd  October,  1778. 

"GENTLEMEN, — I  have  the  pleasure  to  acquaint  you  \ve 
arrived  safe  here  this  day  with  a  French  East  Indiaman  of  500 
tons,  deeply  laden,  from  Bengal,  which  we  took  on  Tuesday 
the  29th  of  September,  in  lat.  47.28  N.  long.  10.30  W.  At 
six  in  the  morning  we  discovered  two  sail  in  the  N.W.  quarter, 
wind  at  S.S.W.  upon  which  the  Henry  and  me  gave  chace  to 
the  northwardmost  of  them.  At  eight,  I  found  she  wronged 
us  much,  and  was  afraid  she  would  pass  to  windward.  I  left 
the  Henry  chacing,  and  hauled  for  the  westermost  ship.  At 
ten  I  just  weathered  her,  at  a  long  shot,  (she  was  standing  to 
the  Eastward)  notwithstanding  her  formidable  appearance,  I 
wore  round  and  gave  her  a  broadside,  which  was  well  directed. 
She  still  stood  on,  thinking  to  outsail  us  and  get  clear,  which 
I  believe  she  would,  had  not  the  second  broadside  of  grape 
and  round  shot,  which  we  poured  into  him,  immediately  cleared 
his  decks,  and  he  struck  to  the  Brothers.  The  Henry  had 
given  over  the  other  chace,  and  passed  us  a  league  to  leeward ; 
and  when  she  struck  he  was  a  long  way  astern.  As  she  is 


AMERICAN  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE.  231 

such  a  valuable  prize,  we  thought  it  most  prudent  for  both  of 
us  to  convoy  her  into  port.  I  put  two  mates  (Mr.  Callow  and 
Mr.  Pugmore)  and  twelve  men  on  board  ;  Currie  the  same 
number.  She  is  called  the  La  Gaston  (her  first  voyage).  She 
is  90  feet  keel  and  28^2  feet  beam,  frigate  built,  and  would 
carry  32  guns.  She  has  only  6  nine-pounders  on  board  and  60 
men,  including  passengers,  amongst  which  is  a  French  General 
called  Nardierre,  a  Chevalier  of  the  order  of  St.  Lewis.  By 
the  General's  account  she  is  worth  2,000,000  of  livres  ;  I  think 
she  is  worth  more.  I  beg  you  will  write  me  by  return  of  post, 
to  the  care  of  the  postmaster  at  Portsmouth  ;  but  I  think  one 
of  you  coming  yourselves  post  would  be  requisite  ;  I  wish  you 
would.  We  have  sent  off  express  to  Mr.  Hartley.  As  dull  as 
the  Brothers  sails  we  have  stumbled  upon  a  noble  acquisition. 
I  had  near  lost  her  for  want  of  a  fast  sailing  ship.  Had  they 
stood  another  broadside  by  keeping  all  crowded  as  they  had, 
they  would  have  got  clear.  The  Henry  was  too  far  to  leeward 
to  have  come  up  with  her.  At  three  o'clock  the  same  day  we 
took  the  prize,  we  fell  in  with  the  Ellis  and  Gregsori*  who 
informed  us  that  the  day  before  they  had  been  chased  by  three 
French  frigates,  and  that  they  saw  a  French  60  gun  ship  with 
a  prize,  a  large  black  ship,  standing  to  the  S.E.  Inclosed  you 
have  the  French  Captain's  account  of  the  cargo,  but  by 
information  of  some  of  the  passengers,  there  is  four  trunks  of 
valuable  merchandise,  and  other  packages  of  value.  Am, 
Gentlemen,  your  most  humble  Servant,  RALPH  FISHER. 

"  400  Bales  of  Muslin  and  White  Bafts,  150  Tons  Saltpetre, 
190  Bales  Cotton,  n  Pipes,  138  Half  Pipes,  34  Bags  Sago, 
4  Casks  Tortoise  Shell,  40  Barrels  Coffee,  50,000  Billets  Ebony, 
besides  other  packages  of  value." 

On  Sunday,  October  4th,  1778,  the  Mary,  Captain 
Bonsall,  a  vessel  of  130  tons,  16  guns,  and  40  men,  belong- 
ing to  Messrs.  Drinkwater  &  Co.,  arrived  in  the  river 

*  The  Editor  patriotically  remarks: — "The  Gregson  and  Ellis  both  belong  to 
this  port,  and  as  they  are  two  fine  ships  and  manned  with  brave  seamen,  if  they 
got  up  with  the  other  East  Indiaman,  we  doubt  not  her  being  soon  brought  to 
England." 


232  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVA  TEERS. 

Mersey  with  a  ship  she  had  captured  in  the  Bay  of  Biscay 
in    her  passage  from  Liverpool  to  Dominica.      The  prize 
was   called   Le    Grand  Athanase,  from   Port  de  Paix  for 
Nantz,  loaded  with  about  200,000  Ibs.  of  tobacco  and  other 
goods.     In    December,   the  Mary   arrived   from  a  cruise, 
bringing  in  with  her  another  prize,  called  LlEquite,  bound 
from  St.  Domingo  for  Bordeaux.     Her  cargo  consisted  of 
239  hhds.,     6  tierces,         9  barrels  first  white  Sugars. 
67     ,,         58       ,,  184       ,,        1 1 8  bags  of  Coffee. 

2     ,,  3        ,,  i        ,,  3  ankers  Indigo. 

16  Bales,  10  bags  Cotton.        2  Barrels  Cocoa. 

i  barrel  tortoise  shell. 

The  paper  of  December  iith,  describes  how  the  prize, 
coming  into  port,  was  run  aground,  on  the  Dove,  "and 
coming  round  the  Rock,  beat  off  her  rudder,  which  was 
washed  away;  when  very  bad  weather  coming  on,  no  boats 
could  be  got  to  tow  her  into  the  dock.  A  temporary  rudder 
was  sent  off  to  her,  but  after  cutting  three  cables,  being 
three  times  ashore,  and  losing  three  boats,  she  at  length 
was  run  ashore  near  the  New  Ferry,  with  one  anchor  and 
cable  at  her  bow,  which  were  never  let  go.  'Tis  to  be 
feared  the  ship  will  not  be  got  off,  but  the  materials  and 
greatest  part  of  her  cargo  are  saved."  Such  were  some  of 
the  difficulties  of  navigation  prior  to  the  advent  of  those 
powerful  steam  tug-boats  which  have  rendered  incalcul- 
able services  to  the  shipping  of  the  port.  But  LlEquit&s 
dramatic  career  was  not  yet  closed.  What  followed  is 
related  by  Troughton  as  an  instance  of  the  daring 
depravity  of  the  inhabitants  on  the  Cheshire  coast.  A 
number  of  lighters  were  employed  to  take  out  the  cargo. 
On  the  second  day,  the  people  from  the  country,  assem- 
bling in  their  hundreds,  swooped  down  upon  the  vessel, 
threatening  destruction  to  all  who  opposed  them,  forcibly 
seized  and  carried  off  great  quantities  of  the  cargo,  in  con- 
sequence of  which  lawlessness,  it  was  found  necessary  to 


AMERICAN  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE.  233 

call  in  the  aid  of  the  military.  Application  was  accordingly 
made  to  the  Mayor  of  Liverpool,  and  the  commanding  officer 
of  the  Leicestershire  Militia  stationed  there,  both  of  whom 
declined  interfering,  the  transaction  being  in  another  county. 
The  owners  of  the  privateer  then  sent  over  arms  to  their 
people,  for  the  defence  of  the  vessel.  On  the  following 
night  a  numerous  mob  again  assembled,  and  in  spite  of  the 
entreaties  of  the  four  men  who  guarded  the  property,  pro- 
ceeded to  renew  their  depredations.  The  guard  then  fired 
several  times  over  the  heads  of  the  most  desperate  of  the 
plunderers,  and  at  last,  for  the  preservation  of  their  own 
lives,  fired  directly  upon  them,  killing  one  man.  This 
resistance,  however,  only  exasperated  the  mob,  and  in  the 
end,  to  prevent  farther  bloodshed,  the  men  upon  guard  took 
to  their  boat,  and  left  the  prize  to  the  robbers. 

In  April,  1779,  the  Mary  fell  in  with  the  rebel  privateer 
Vengeance,  Captain  Wingaze  Newman,  of  22  six-pounders 
and  90  men.  The  Mary  had  only  16  four-pounders,  and  48 
men  and  boys,  having  a  short  time  before  sent  fifty-five 
people  away  with  a  prize.  In  the  engagement  which  ensued, 
lasting  one  hour  and-a-half,  the  Mary  had  three  men  killed 
and  twelve  wounded  ;  her  main  topmast  was  carried  away, 
the  mainmast  cut  two-thirds  through  ;  she  received  thirty 
shots  in  her  hull,  five  of  which  were  between  wind  and 
water,  three  of  her  guns  were  dismounted,  and  the  rigging 
all  cut  to  pieces.  In  this  condition,  the  brave  Captain 
Bonsall  was  obliged  to  strike  his  colours,  and  the  Mary 
was  carried  into  the  port  of  Newbury.  She  did  not  remain 
long,  however,  in  the  hands  of  the  Americans,  being  retaken 
and  carried  into  Antigua. 

In  August,  1778,  the  Molly,  Captain  Kendall,  from  Liver- 
pool for  Africa,  took  the  La  Verturane,  from  Port-au-Prince 
for  Havre,  with  sugar,  coffee,  cotton,  indigo,  etc.  Being 
a  valuable  prize,  Captain  Kendall  returned  back  to  convoy 
her  safe  to  Liverpool,  but,  meeting  with  the  Stag  man-of-war 


234  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

between  Holyhead  and  Tuskar,  the  prize  was  taken  from 
him,  and  arrived  in  Liverpool  on  December  lyth. 

On  her  passage  from  Africa  to  Jamaica,  with  412  slaves, 
the  Molly  took  and  carried  in  with  her,  a  valuable  prize  laden 
with  provisions,  etc.  In  March,  1781,  we  read  that  she  had 
arrived  at  Jamaica  from  Africa,  with  a  cargo  of  514  slaves, 
which  was  an  immense  success,  considering  that  she  had 
buried  106  poor  wretches  on  the  middle  passage.  The  Molly 
belonged  to  Messrs.  Gregson  &  Co.  She  was  260  tons 
burthen,  and  carried  16  guns  and  70  men.  The  Nancy, 
Captain  Nelson,  a  slaver  of  150  tons  burthen,  16  guns  and  50 
men,  owned  by  Messrs.  Pringle  &  Co.,  managed  at  about  the 
same  time  to  convey  to  the  same  elysium,  610  slaves,  doubt- 
less to  the  great  disappointment  of  the  sharks,  which  followed 
these  floating  dungeons  with  expectant  eyes.  In  December, 
1782,  we  read  of  the  Molly,  Captain  Kendall,  being  well  on 
the  coast  of  Africa  with  650  slaves,  and  in  April,  1783,  it  was 
announced  that  La  Joletta,  prize  to  the  Molly,  had  arrived  in 
the  river  Thames.  Happy  was  the  merchant  who  possessed 
brave  and  skilful  captains,  who,  not  only  secured  large 
cargoes  of  eligible  and  healthy  negroes,  but  picked  up  rich 
argosies  on  the  passage. 

In  October,  1778,  Captain  Robert  Bostock,  of  the  Little 
Ben,  1 10  tons,  14  guns,  and  50  men,  wrote  from  Exeter  to  his 
owners,  Messrs.  Radcliffe  &  Co.,  in  Liverpool,  as  follows:— 

"  I  am  just  arrived  here,  in  company  with  the  Molly 
privateer,  belonging-  to  this  port,  with  the  snow  Le  Mallie, 
Capt.  Mouroy,  from  Port  Prince,  bound  to  Bordeaux,  laden 
with  sugars,  coffee,  indigo,  and  cotton ;  they  calculate  the 
value  here  to  be  ^20,000,  and  a  Dutch  ship  loaded  at  Mar- 
seilles, and  bound  to  St.  Villeroy,  with  brandy,  oil,  soap,  &c. 
I  spoke  the  Gregson  on  Monday  last,  who  had  parted  with  the 
Ellis.  She  was  chased  by  three  French  men  of  war,  and  he 
saw  them  take  an  English  ship,  which  he  was  afraid  was  a 
Liverpool  vessel.  I  was  very  near  being  taken  by  a  French 


AMERICAN  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE.  235 

4O-gun  ship  ;  she  gave  us  three  broadsides,  but  we  being  the 
best  sailor,  got  clear  of  her." 

The  paper  of  October  3Oth,  mentions  that  "the  Little  Ben, 
from  Liverpool  for  Africa,  and  the  Molly,  belonging  to 
Exeter,  had  taken  a  snow  bound  from  Martinico  for  Nantz, 
laden  with  178  hogsheads  of  Muscovado  sugar,  50  hogs- 
heads, 74  tierces  and  barrels  of  white  sugar,  5000  Ibs.  of 
indigo,  6,500  Ibs.  of  cotton,  and  103,896  Ibs.  of  coffee.  In 
July,  1779,  the  Hope,  Captain  .Potter,  arrived  from  Africa, 
and  reported  that  the  Little  Ben  had  left  the  coast  full 
slaved,  and  that  the  Rose  and  the  Spy  had  likewise  left  the 
coast  to  escape  the  French  frigates,  but  intended  to  return 
to  finish  their  trade,  after  the  French  had  passed."  The  Spy, 
Captain  Rigmaiden,  and  the  Rose,  Captain  Jackson,  were 
both  vessels  of  120  tons,  belonging  to  Messrs.  J.  Zuill  &  Co., 
and  each  carried  14  guns  and  forty  men. 

At  the  end  of  October,  1778,  the  Knight,  a  vessel  of  220 
tons  burthen,  18  guns,  and  80  men,  belonging  to  Messrs. 
Hindley,  Leigh  &  Co.,  Captain  Wilson,  brought  safe  to 
Hoylake  a  large  ship  from  St.  Domingo,  called  La  Plaine 
du  Cap,  which  she  had  captured.  On  the  27th  of  November, 
another  prize,  taken  by  the  Knight,  arrived  in  the  Mersey, 
the  Catharina,  from  Cadiz  for  Havre  de  Grace.  The  cargo 
consisted  of  418  packs  of  wool,  174  tanned  hides,  25  barrels 
of  wine,  16  barrels  of  cochineal,  28  bales  of  indigo,  2  bales 
chocolate,  6  chests  gum  copal,  5  chests  of  medicines,  4 
chests  vanigla,  26  pipes  sweet  oil,  one  case  of  books,  and 
one  bale  of  camlet  ;  the  whole  valued  at  ,£25,000.  In  the 
Liverpool  paper  of  January  8th,  1779,  we  read  how  the 
Knight,  upon  a  cruise,  captured  a  fine  East  Indiaman  called 
the  Deux  Amis,  from  China,  with  a  valuable  cargo  on 
board,  and  was  convoying  her  into  Liverpool,  but  in  a  gale 
the  prize  was  forced  on  shore  upon  the  point  of  Ayr,  while 
the  Knight  went  on  shore  in  Conway  Bay,  with  the  loss  of 
her  masts  only.  The  crew  of  the  prize,  when  she  filled 


236  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

with  water,  endeavoured  to  save  themselves  by  getting 
upon  the  shrouds  and  masts,  but  the  sea  breaking  over 
them,  and  the  night  being  intensely  cold,  only  nine  English- 
men and  one  Frenchman  survived  it ;  the  rest,  thirty-two  in 
number,  were  starved  to  death,  and  the  ship  broke  to  pieces. 
A  great  part  of  the  cargo  was  saved.  In  July,  1779,  the 
Knight  was  sunk  by  a  French  frigate.  Her  crew  were 
saved  and  landed  at  Oporto. 

The  following  quotations  from  a  letter  dated  Baltimore, 
U.S.,  December  i2th,  1778,  show  the  distress  which  pre- 
vailed in  that  country  during  the  war  : — "  Dry  goods  1500 
per  cent,  advance.  Exchange  600  per  cent,  few  good  bills. 
Hard  money  500  advance  on  current  cash.  Gunpowder, 
lead,  shot,  earthenware,  sells  at  2500-3000  per  cent." 

In  October,  1778,  the  Viper,  Captain  Cowell,  160  tons 
burthen,  18  guns,  and  80  men,  belonging  to  Messrs.  Birch 
&  Co.,  captured  a  valuable  prize  called  La  Judicieux,  from 
Port-au-Prince  for  Nantz,  laden  with  sugar,  coffee,  indigo, 
cotton,  sweetmeats,  copper,  and  lignum  vitas.  On  the  i/th 
November,  in  the  Bay  of  Biscay,  the  Viper  took  the  snow 
La  Amiable  Annette,  bound  from  Cape  Fran9ois  to  Nantz, 
with  sugar,  coffee,  cotton,  and  indigo.  On  the  8th  of  March, 
1780,  the  Viper,  in  company  with  the  Dick,  Captain  Hewin, 
took  the  Uriah,  from  Newberry  to  Hispaniola,  with  lumber, 
etc.,  and  on  the  i7th  of  the  same  month,  they  captured  the 
Count  d'Estaign,  of  18  guns,  from  Cadiz  to  Virginia,  laden 
with  wine  and  salt.  They  carried  both  prizes  to  St.  Kitts. 
The  Viper  also  took  a  schooner  from  Salem  for  Grenada, 
laden  with  wine  and  lumber,  and  carried  her  into  Antigua. 
In  1782,  she  recaptured  the  Parnassus,  from  Liverpool  for 
London. 

At  a  council  held  on  the  7th  of  October,  1778,  the  Cor- 
poration resolved  to  give  a  bounty  of  four  guineas  per  man 
to  able  seamen,  not  exceeding  40  in  number,  who  should 
enter  as  volunteers  on  board  his  Majesty's  ship  Penelope, 


AMERICAN  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE.  237 

built  in  Liverpool,  "they  being  first  fairly  proved  to  be 
volunteers  and  not  impressed  men,  before  the  committee  oi 
the  council  formerly  appointed  for  the  purpose." 

The  Juno,  Captain  Beaver,  a  small  vessel  of  90  tons 
burthen,  14  guns,  and  40  men,  belonging  to  Messrs. 
Hartley  &  Co.,  in  her  passage  from  Liverpool  to  Africa, 
took  a  large  Dutchman  with  a  French  cargo,  which  she 
sent  to  Liverpool. 

In  October,  1778,  the  Tartar,  Captain  Allanson,  captured 
the  Le  Concorde,  of  500  tons  burthen,  from  Bordeaux,  with 
2,500  barrels  of  flour,  800  barrels  of  beef,  200  hogsheads  of 
wine,  and  above  20  bales  of  dry  goods,  in  which  were  600 
ounces  of  silver.  On  February  26th,  1779,  the  Tartar 
carried  into  Antigua,  a  large  New  England  brig,  laden  with 
380  hogsheads  of  tobacco.  In  the  paper  of  May  28th,  1779, 
we  read  that  Captain  Allanson  on  his  passage  to  Jamaica, 
captured  a  French  slaver,  from  Angola  with  692  slaves, 
who  were  sold  in  Jamaica  for  ^25,560,  currency  ;  a  stroke 
of  business  which  must  have  caused  great  satisfaction  in  the 
office  of  the  owners,  Messrs.  J.  Backhouse  &  Co.  Captain 
Allanson  also  took  the  schooner  Victory,  from  Nantucket, 
with  lumber,  fish,  and  oil  ;  and  on  his  passage  home,  the 
sloop  Hazard  from  Providence,  with  lumber.  The  Tartar, 
though  worthy  of  her  name,  was  not  a  formidable  craft  to 
look  at,  being  only  90  tons  burthen,  carrying  18  guns,  and 
80  men. 

It  may  be  easily  imagined  from  the  nature  of  their 
employment  afloat,  that  the  privateersmen,  when  they 
came  into  port,  were  not  exemplary  pillars  of  law  and 
order.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  they  were  a  rough  and  lawless 
set,  the  terror  of  the  town,  committing  many  outrages,  and 
breaking  open  the  guard-house  to  release  the  impressed 
seamen  there  confined.  Their  riotous  behaviour  became 
so  alarming  as  to  demand  magisterial  notice,  insomuch 
that,  towards  the  close  of  the  year  1778,  during  the 


238  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVA  TEERS. 

mayoralty   of    William    Pole,    the   following   caution    was 
published  under  his  authority  : — 

"  Great  complaints  having  been  made  to  me,  as  your  chief 
magistrate,  that  of  late,  numbers  of  seamen  and  others, 
engaged  and  entered  on  board  the  several  privateers,  and 
letters  of  marque  vessels  equipping  at  this  port,  to  cruize 
against  his  Majesty's  enemies,  do  frequently  assemble  them- 
selves, and  go  armed  in  a  riotous  and  unlawful  manner  through 
the  town,  and  its  environs,  as  well  in  the  day  as  in  the  night 
time,  without  any  commission  or  other  officer  being  in  com- 
pany, or  to  command  them,  to  the  great  annoyance  of  the 
inhabitants  and  others,  and  who  have  committed  several 
outrages  thereby  against  his  Majesty's  peace,  and  the  laws 
of  our  country  in  particular,  in  forcibly  breaking  open,  and 
rescuing  several  impressed  seamen  out  of  the  houses  for  the 
reception  of  them.  These  are,  therefore,  in  his  Majesty's 
name,  for  the  future,  to  caution  all  such  persons  assembling 
themselves  in  such  an  unlawful  manner  and  mode,  and  from 
committing  such  unlawful  breaches  of  the  peace,  and  violations 
of  the  laws,  otherwise,  I  shall  be  under  the  most  disagreeable 
necessity  of  calling  unto  my  assistance,  for  the  preservation 
of  the  lives  and  property  of  his  Majesty's  peaceable  subjects  in 
this  town,  the  military  stationed  here,  of  which,  I  hereby 
require  all  such  persons  to  take  notice,  at  their  peril." 
This  remonstrance  had  its  proper  effect  in  deterring  a 
lawless  banditti  from  the  perpetration  of  outrages. 

The  Bess,  270  tons,  18  guns,  and  100  men,  Captain  Perry, 
belonging  to  Messrs.  Slater  &  Co.,  on  her  passage  from 
Liverpool  to  St.  Vincent's,  captured  in  the  Bay  of  Biscay  an 
American  snow  called  the  St.  Croix,  with  49  hogsheads  (or 
40,000  Ibs.)  of  tobacco  ;  102  hogsheads,  6  half-hogsheads,  and 
two  barrels  white  sugar;  24  hogsheads,  3  half-hogsheads, 
.and  one  barrel  of  brown  sugar;  1 16  hogsheads,  15  half-hogs- 
heads, and  28  barrels  of  coffee ;  and  826  dollars.  In  January, 
1779,  the  Bess,  in  company  with  the  Saville,  of  Bristol,  took 
a  rich  snow,  named  the  Proteus,  bound  from  Philadelphia  to 


AMERICAN  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE.  239 

France,  with  281  hogsheads  of  flax  seed,  166  hogsheads  of 
tobacco,  52  casks  of  pot-ashes,  15,000  staves,  and  140  beaver 
skins. 

The  Arethusa,  Captain  Jones,  a  vessel  of  150  tons  burthen, 
18  guns,  and  92  men,  belonging  to  Messrs.  Nelson  &  Co., 
took  a  brig  from  Bayonne,  loaded  with  wine  and  flour,  and 
sent  her  for  Liverpool,  but  she  was  stranded  near  Waterford. 
The  crew  and  part  of  the  cargo  were  saved.  The  Arethusa 
soon  afterwards  captured  a  schooner  loaded  with  tobacco, 
and  sent  her  for  Liverpool.  In  November  of  the  following 
year,  we  read  that  the  Arethusa  had  taken  and  carried  into 
the  Bermudas,  two  prizes,  one  a  sloop  laden  with  59  hogs- 
heads of  tobacco  from  Bird's  warehouse,  James  River, 
the  other  from  Salem  for  Cape  Fran9ois,  laden  with  fish 
and  lumber.  In  company  with  another  privateer,  the 
Arethusa  captured  a  prize  which  was  sent  to  the  Bermudas, 
and  another  from  Carolina,  which  she  sent  to  New  York. 

On  the  28th  of  October,  the  Carnatic,  East  Indiaman,  was 
taken  by  the  Mentor,  Captain  John  Dawson.  This  was  said 
to  be  the  richest  prize  ever  taken  and  brought  safe  into  port 
by  a  Liverpool  adventurer,  being  of  the  value  of  ,£135,000. 
"A  box  of  diamonds  of  an  immense  value,"  says  the  Liver- 
pool paper,  of  November  271)1,  "  was  discovered  on  Friday 
on  board  the  Carnatic,  French  East  Indiaman,  which  is 
arrived  in  the  river,  to  the  no  small  satisfaction  of  the 
captors."  This  lucky  hit  was  due  in  a  great  measure  to  the 
sagacity  of  Captain  Dawson.  War  with  France  had  com- 
menced in  April,  but  Admiral  Keppel  only  put  to  sea  to 
look  for  the  French  fleet  on  June  lyth.  Captain  Dawson 
boldly  sailed  southwards  to  intercept  the  French  East  India- 
men,  which  had  put  to  sea  before  the  declaration  of  war,  and 
met  with  the  reward  which  his  pluck  and  foresight  deserved. 
The  Mentor,  400  tons  burthen,  28  guns,  and  102  men, 
belonged  to  Messrs.  Baker  &  Co.  Mr.  Baker  became 
Captain  Dawson's  father-in-law,  and  partner  in  the  noted 


240  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

shipbuilding  firm  of  Messrs.  Baker  &  Dawson,  on  the 
Estuary  Bank.  Mr.  Baker  was  mayor  in  1795,  and  died 
during  his  year  of  office.  Messrs.  Baker  &  Dawson  bought 
the  Mossley  Hill  Estate,  and  erected  thereon  the  mansion 
which,  in  joke,  was  called  by  the  wags,  "Carnatic-hall."*  In 
1778,  the  firm  bought  the  manor  of  Garston  of  the  Corpora- 
tion of  Liverpool,  and  in  January,  1791,  they  conveyed  their 
undivided  moieties  to  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Kent,  widow  of  Mr. 
Richard  Kent,  of  Duke  Street. 

In  the  Binns'  Collection,  at  the  Brown's  Library,  is  the 
following  undated  newspaper  cutting  : — 

"A  RELIC  OF  OLD  LIVERPOOL. 

"  The  fire  which  took  place  on  Monday  last  at  Carnatic-hall, 
situate  on  Mossley-hill,  promises  to  complete  the  destruction 
of  a  mansion  not  a  little  associated  with  the  fortunes  and 
history  of  Liverpool  and  its  leading1  citizens  during-  the  last 
100  years.  It  is  well  known  what  a  prominent  part  Liverpool 
took  in  fitting  out  privateers  against  the  French  and  other 
enemies  at  the  commencement  of  our  American  troubles  in 
1775.  But  it  was  in  November  1778,  that  the  richest  prize 
ever  taken  by  a  Liverpool  adventurer  fell  into  the  hands  of 
Captain  John  Baker  of  the  Mentor,  a  ship  of  400  tons,  28  guns, 
102  men,  and  belonging-  to  the  Bakers  and  Pudsey  Dawsons — 
names  then  of  repute  in  commercial  circles.  The  prize,  a 
French  East  Indiaman,  the  Carnatic,  turned  out  to  have  on 
board  a  box  of  diamonds,  valued  at  ^135,000.  With  the 
proceeds  of  the  prize  and  after  it  Carnatic-hall  was  built  and 

*  Carnatic-hall,  re-built  in  princely  style,  is  now  the  residence  of  Mr.  Walter 
Holland.  Towards  the  close  of  the  eighteenth  century,  Mr.  Samuel  Holland,  grand- 
father of  Mr.  Walter  Holland,  the  present  owner,  came  to  Liverpool  from  Knutsford, 
in  Cheshire,  from  which  place  the  present  Henry  Holland  takes  hi-;  title  of  Viscount 
Knutsford.  Mr.  Samuel  Holland  was  no  doubt  largely  engaged  in  privateering, 
like  other  Liverpool  shipowners  in  the  long  war  with  France.  He  is  said  to  have 
been  on  hoard  one  of  his  own  privateers,  and  commenced  an  engagement  with  either 
a  British  man-of-war  or  another  privateer,  in  the  Mediterranean  (each  vessel  having 
hoisted  a  wrong  colour  to  deceive  an  enemy)  before  the  mistake  was  found  out. 
The  family  of  Holland  is  an  old  one,  and  was  resident  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
Liverpool  farther  hack  than  the  days  of  the  valiant  Nehemiah,  who  commanded 
the  Ann  Galley  and  the  St.  Peter. 


AMERICAN  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE.  2« 

appropriately  named.  Though  the  name  of  its  architect  is  not 
known,  the  proportions  of  its  rooms  and  their  decoration 
denoted  a  superior  hand — possibly  that  of  Adams.  It  is  not 
known  for  certain  whether  there  remain  any  of  the  family  of 
the  builders  of  the  mansion,  though  about  twenty  years  ago  a 
woman  claiming  to  be  so  descended  appealed  for  alms  to  the 
then  occupants  of  the  house.  Anyhow,  the  latter  after  remain- 
ing in  the  family  of  its  builders  till  about  1830,  came  into  the 
possession  of  the  Ewarts,  one  of  whom  was  sometime  member 
of  Parliament  for  Liverpool,  and  in  1838,  shorn  of  part  of  its 
acreage,  it  was  purchased  by  the  late  Charles  Lawrence, 
grandfather  of  Mr.  W.  F.  Lawrence,  M.P.  In  1886,  after 
the  death  of  Mrs.  G.  H.  Lawrence,  the  property  was  sold  to  a 
syndicate,  and  lately  came  into  the  hands  of  the  present  owner. 
In  1847,  during  the  mayoralty  of  Mr.  G.  H.  Lawrence,  Sir 
Robert  Peel  visited  Liverpool,  and  slept  at  Carnatic-hall,  as 
the  guest  of  Mr.  Charles  Lawrence.  In  1886,  an  old  and 
interesting  print,  which  always  hung  at  Carnatic-hall  through 
its  many  vicissitudes,  representing  the  capture  of  the  Carnatic 
East  Indiaman,  was  forwarded  by  the  representatives  of  the 
then  owners  to  the  authorities  at  the  Brown  Library.  It  is 
probably  lost  under  the  accumulation  of  similar  curios,  but  it 
would  seem  worth  while  for  the  authorities  to  provide  some 
room  specially  devoted  to  commemorate  Liverpool  in  the  olden 
days,  and  to  set  out  a  selection  of  prints  and  curios  of  special 
interest.  It  is  probable  the  old  picture  depicting  the  capture 
of  the  Carnatic,  however  poor  as  a  work  of  art,  might  be  not 
the  least  attractive  exhibit,  and  stimulate  many  a  youth  to 
deeds  of  daring  and  laudable  ambition."  * 
In  August,  1779,  we  read  that  the  Mentor  had  captured 
two  prizes  on  her  passage  to  Jamaica.  In  that  year  she 

*  The  writer  of  the  above  interesting  article  is  incorrect  in  saying  that 
Captain  Baker  was  in  command  of  the  Mentor,  instead  of  Captain  Dawson.  The 
author  of  the  present  work,  having  had  his  attention  called  to  the  old  picture  in 
question,  by  Mr.  W.  F.  Lawrence,  M.P.,  made  enquiries,  and,  with  the  kindly 
aid  of  Mr.  Cowell,  the  Chief  Librarian,  found  it  hung  in  a  dark  corridor  in  the 
private  portion  of  the  Brown's  Library.  "  More  light"  only  revealed  the  sad  fact 
that  the  picture  had  been  in  battle  on  its  own  account,  and  that  it  was  too  sorely 
wounded  for  reproduction  in  this  volume. 

Q 


242  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

was  commanded  by  Captain  John  Whiteside,  who,  on  the 
4th  of  November,  wrote  to  Messrs.  Baker  &  Dawson,  from 
Cork,  as  follows  : — 

"On  Wednesday,  the  2yth  ult. ,  in  lat.  47,  long-,  n.,  at 
A.M.  daylight,  saw  four  sail  bearing-  S.E. ;  bore  away  for  them. 
As  we  came  near,  found  two  of  them  to  be  ships,  one  having 
Dutch  colours  hoisted,  the  other  English  ;  the  other  two  sail 
being  a  sloop  and  a  schooner.  At  nine  A.M.  came  so  near  one 
of  the  ships  as  to  perceive  she  was  a  frigate,  on  which  we 
hauled  upon  a  wind  to  the  southward.  She  immediately 
hoisted  French  colours,  fired  several  shot,  and  gave  chace  to 
us.  We,  finding  she  came  up  fast,  kept  away  with  the  wind 
abeam,  and  set  every  studding  sail  and  small  sail  in  the  ship 
to  the  best  advantage.  At  noon  the  frigate  was  about  two 
miles  astern  in  chace.  The  28th  October  moderate  winds  and 
clear  weather;  the. frigate  in  chace  all  these  twenty-four  hours, 
sometimes  coming  near  us,  other  times  dropping,  according  as 
the  breeze  freshened  and  died  away.  We  took  every  possible 
method  to  get  away  from  him,  but  could  not  get  distance 
enough  from  him  to  alter  our  course  in  the  night.  At  ten  A.M. 
saw  three  sail  astern,  steering  after  us.  At  meridian,  the 
frigate  about  a  mile  and  a  half  astern,  coming  up  fast  with  us. 
The  29th  October,  at  half  past  meridian,  the  wind  dying  away, 
the  frigate  came  up  with  us  fast,  in  consequence  of  which,  we 
in  studding  sails,  up  courses,  and  got  all  clear  for  engaging. 
At  one  P.M.  came  to  action,  which  continued  very  warm  till 
ten  minutes  past  two,  when  she  made  all  the  sail  she  could,  and 
stood  away  from  us  to  the  southward. 

"  She  was  a  frigate  of  36  guns,  carrying  28  twelve-pounders 
on  one  deck.  We  weighed  one  of  their  shot,  and  found  it 
15  Ib.  weight.  We  had  our  main-top-mast  shot  away,  a  great 
deal  of  our  rigging  and  sails,  and  one  shot  through  our  main- 
mast head,  just  below  the  trussle  trees,  which  splintered  all 
the  larboard  cheek  of  the  mast  and  all  the  bolts.  At  five  P.M. 
two  of  the  vessels  we  saw  astern  came  up,  and  spoke  us, 
proved  to  be  the  Lyon  and  Tyger  privateers,  belonging  to 


AMERICAN  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE  243 

Bristol.  We  all  three  made  sail  after  the  frigate.  At  A.M. 
daylight,  had  a  survey  on  our  mainmast,  by  our  carpenters, 
found  it  so  much  shattered,  and  impossible  to  get  any  fishes 
on  it,  concluded  putting  into  Ireland,  in  order  to  get  a  new 
one.  At  meridian  in  company  with  the  privateers,  saw  two 
sail,  one  upon  a  wind,  which  we  knew  to  be  the  frigate,  being 
in  the  same  disguise  as  when  we  first  saw  her,  with  his  fore- 
top  gallant  mast  down,  and  a  small  jigger  abaft,  and  the  other 
a  brig  standing  to  the  S.E.,  to  which  the  Lyon  gave  chace  I 
suppose,  not  knowing  the  other  vessel  to  be  the  frigate  by 
being  in  that  disguise,  and  she  on  the  wind  to  the  N.W.  The 
Tyger  gave  chace  to  her,  we  being  disabled  so  much,  with  our 
main-top-mast  down,  and  a  great  way  astern  of  them  both, 
and  not  consulting  with  me,  thought  it  most  prudent  to  haul 
my  wind.  As  the  Tyger  drew  near  her  chace,  she  perceived 
her  to  be  the  frigate,  whereupon  she  immediately  hauled  her 
wind,  and  stood  for  the  Lyon,  which  I  suppose  would  have 
been  the  case  had  I  gone  down  with  her.  Our  officers  and 
men  behaved  exceeding  well." 

In  1782,  on  her  passage  from  Jamaica  to  Liverpool,  the 
Mentor  foundered  in  a  gale,  off  the  Banks  of  Newfoundland, 
and  31  of  the  crew  were  lost.  Captain  Whiteside,  his 
second  mate,  and  a  boy  were  saved.  The  Sarah  Goulburn, 
Captain  Orr,  also  foundered. 

The  Dragon  privateer,  112  tons,  14  guns,  and  75  men, 
Captain  Briggs,  belonging  to  Messrs.  Warren  &  Co.,  took  the 
La  Bonne  Foi>  from  Martinico  for  Dunkirk,  laden  with  201 
hogsheads,  7  tierces,  and  three  barrels  of  sugar,  165  bags 
of  cocoa,  119  bags  of  cotton,  22  hogsheads,  and  48  bags  of 
coffee  ;  also  two  ships  from  Newfoundland  laden  with  fish, 
one  of  which  was  lost  off  Cork.  The  prize-master  of  the 
other  stated  that  he  had  left  the  Dragon  in  pursuit  of  fifteen 
more  vessels  when  he  parted  from  her.  On  the  i6th  of 
February,  1779,  the  Dragon  took  the  La  Modeste  (a  French 
Letter  of  Marque),  from  St.  Domingo  for  Nantz.  When  she 
struck,  the  sea  ran  so  high  that  it  was  impracticable  to  board 


244  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVA  TEERS. 

her,  upon  which  she  was  ordered  to  steer  towards  Ireland, 
and  carry  a  light,  the  Dragon  keeping  close  on  her  quarter. 
When  the  weather  became  more  moderate,  an  attempt  was 
made  to  man  the  prize,  in  which  all  the  boats  belonging  to 
each  ship  were  stove.  The  impatience  of  the  Dragoris  crew 
was  now  raised  to  the  utmost  pitch,  and,  regardless  of  all 
danger,  five  seamen  stripped  themselves,  leaped  into  the  sea, 
swam  to  the  prize,  and  took  possession.  This  unparalleled 
instance  of  British  courage  so  astonished  the  French,  that 
they  declared  none  but  Englishmen  would  have  thought  of 
such  an  expedient,  and  much  less  have  carried  it  into  effect. 
The  prize  was  worth  swimming  for,  the  cargo,  which  arrived 
safely  in  Liverpool,  consisting  of  517  hogsheads  of  sugar, 
42  hogsheads,  31  barrels,  two  tierces,  116  quarter  casks,  and 
181  bags  of  coffee,  39  bales  and  29  pockets  of  cotton,  four 
hogsheads,  one  barrel,  and  eight  quarter  casks  of  indigo. 
In  February,  1780,  we  read  that  the  Dragon  privateer, 
Captain  Reed,  had  taken  "  another  schooner,  bound  from 
Martinico  to  Boston,  laden  with  sugar,  etc.,  and  sent  her 
into  Bermuda,  where  both  vessel  and  cargo  were  sold." 
In  the  paper  of  September  i3th,  1781,  the  capture  was 
announced  of  the  Dragon,  Captain  Gardner,  on  a  cruise 
from  Liverpool,  by  a  French  frigate,  which  carried  her  into 
Brest. 

The  Nanny,  Captain  Beynon,  belonging  to  Messrs. 
Hindley,  Leigh  &  Co.,  a  vessel  of  220  tons,  14  guns,  and 
50  men,  took  a  large  Swedish  brig  bound  from  Lisbon  to 
Rouen,  with  wine,  fruit,  and  wool.  In  January,  1779,  on  her 
passage  to  Oporto,  she  recaptured  a  brig  loaded  with  pro- 
visions, from  Limerick  for  Gibraltar.  In  the  following 
March,  on  the  homeward  passage  from  Oporto,  she  had  a 
three  hours'  engagement  with  a  privateer  of  16  guns,  and 
beat  her  off.  The  particulars  of  an  engagement  between  the 
Nanny  and  the  American  privateer,  General  Arnold,  Captain 
Brown,  of  18  six-pounders,  and  100  men,  are  given  in  the 


AMERICAN  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE.  245 

following  letter  from  Captain  Beynon  to  his  owners,  dated 
Cadiz,  June  2nd,  1779: — 

"On  the  2oth  of  May,  off  Cape  Finisterre,  saw  a  ship  in 
chace  of  us.  Being-  resolved  to  know  the  weight  of  his  metal 
before  I  gave  up  your  property,  I  prepared  to  make  the  best 
defence  I  could.  Between  eight  and  nine  o'clock,  he  came 
along-side,  with  American  colours,  hailed,  and  told  me  to  haul 
my  colours  down.  I  desired  him  to  beg-in  and  blaze  away,  for 
I  was  determined  to  know  his  force,  before  I  gave  up  to  him. 
The  engagement  began,  and  lasted  about  two  hours,  our  ships 
being  close  together,  having  only  room  to  keep  clear  of  each 
other.  Our  guns  told  well  on  both  sides.  We  were  soon  left 
destitute  of  rigging  and  sails,  as  I  engaged  him  under  my  top- 
sails and  jib.  We  were  sadly  shattered  below  and  aloft.  I 
got  the  Nanny  before  the  wind,  and  fought  an  hour  that  way, 
one  pump  going,  till  we  had  upwards  of  seven  feet  water  in  the 
hold.  I  thought  it  then  almost  time  to  give  up  the  battle,  as 
our  ship  began  to  be  water-logged.  We  were  so  close,  that  I 
told  him  that  I  had  struck,  and  hauled  my  colours  down.  The 
privateer  was  in  a  sad  shattered  condition.  By  the  time  we 
were  all  overboard  the  Nanny,  the  water  was  up  to  the  lower 
deck.  When  Captain  Brown  heard  the  number  of  men  I  had, 
he  asked  me  what  I  meant  by  engaging  him  so  long?  I  told 
him,  as  I  was  then  his  prisoner,  I  hoped  he  would  not  call  me 
to  any  account  for  what  I  had  done,  before  the  colours  were 
hauled  down.  He  said  he  approved  of  all  I  had  done,  and 
treated  my  officers  and  myself  like  gentlemen." 
One  man  went  down  in  the  Nanny.  The  General  Arnold 
was  herself  taken  soon  after,  by  his  Majesty's  ship  Experi- 
ment, Commodore  Sir  James  Wallace. 

The  slave  ship  Diana,  Captain  Colley,  from  Liverpool 
and  Africa  for  America,  was  captured  30  leagues  to  wind- 
ward of  Tobago,  by  the  ship  General  Moutrey,  Captain 
Sullivan,  18  guns  and  200  men,  and  the  brig  Fair  American, 
Captain  Morgan,  14  guns  and  90  men.  The  prize  was 
carried  to  Curacoa,  where  her  cargo,  consisting  of  378 


246  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

slaves,  30  tons  camwood,  and  about  three  tons  of  ivory, 
was  sold;  the  slaves  at  ten  "Joes"  per  head.  The  Green- 
wood, Captain  Reid,  a  slaver  of  250  tons  burthen,  16  guns, 
and  50  men,  belonging  to  Messrs.  Crosbie  &  Greenwood, 
was  taken  on  her  passage  to  Africa  by  the  Vengeance,  an 
old  French  frigate  of  24  twelve-pounders  and  260  men,  and 
carried  to  Cadiz.  The  French  commander  was  killed  at 
the  first  broadside  from  the  Green-mood,  but  the  great  weight 
of  metal,  number  of  guns  and  men  against  him,  made  it 
impossible  for  Captain  Reid  to  continue  the  action. 

In  November,  1778,  the  Catcher,  Captain  Fletcher,  a 
vessel  of  no  tons,  14  guns,  and  80  men,  owned  by  Messrs. 
Salisbury  &  Co.,  brought  into  the  Mersey  a  French  ship 
from  Cape  Fran9ois  for  Nantz,  with  130,300  Ibs.  of  sugar, 
115  barrels  of  coffee,  7  barrels  of  indigo,  and  12  bales  of 
cotton. 

On  the  loth  of  December,  1778,  the  Atalanta,  Captain 
Collinson,  180  tons  burthen,  16  guns,  and  54  men,  owned 
by  Messrs.  Fowden  &  Berry,  recaptured  the  brig  Eagle, 
from  Newfoundland  to  Cadiz,  with  3429  quintals  of  fish, 
and  sent  her  to  Lisbon.  On  the  2ist  of  the  same  month, 
the  Townside,  Captain  Watmough,  130  tons,  16  guns,  and 
90  men,  belonging  to  Messrs.  Mitton  &  Co.,  captured  an 
East  Indiaman,  laden  with  coffee,  dry  goods,  etc.,  but  the 
prize  was  lost  near  Beaumaris,  the  crew  and  part  of  the 
cargo  and  materials  being  saved.  The  Townside  was 
captured  a  few  months  later,  and  re-taken  by  the  Sybil 
man-of-war. 

"The  attention  shewn  to  our  trade  by  the  Admiralty," 
observes  the  paper  of  December  i8th,  1778,  "cannot  be 
too  generally  known  ;  but  it  may  not  be  improper  to  men- 
tion that  1 20  trading  vessels  are  preparing  to  sail  from 
Domingo  to  France  :  a  promising  harvest  for  our  spirited 
privateers."  From  this  we  perceive  that  the  editorial  mind 
was  tainted  with  the  prevailing  "iniquity."  In  the  same 


AMERICAN  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE.  247 

month  it  was  stated  that  since  the  commencement  of  hostili- 
ties with  France,  the  Kite  cutter  had  taken,  in  the  English 
Channel,  prizes  to  the  amount  of  ,£400,000. 

In  the  beginning  of  1779 — a  year  memorable  for  the 
numerous  instances  of  gallantry  displayed  by  the  seamen  of 
Liverpool,  both  in  privateers  and  merchantmen— the  Ellen, 
Captain  Fell,  200  tons,  20  guns,  and  70  men,  owned  by 
Messrs.  France  &  Co.,  on  her  passage  to  Jamaicar  took  the 
Three  Friends,  from  Boston  to  L'Orient,  with  furs,  lignum 
vit^e,  etc. ;  and  a  little  later  she  captured  the  Fantasie,  700 
tons,  from  Port-au-Prince  for  Bordeaux,  with  482  hogsheads, 
2  tierces  and  7  barrels  of  sugar,  100  bags  of  cocoa,  10  bags 
of  cotton,  59  hogsheads,  1 19  tierces  and  165  barrels  of  coffee, 
10  hogsheads,  5  tierces  and  i  barrel  of  indigo. 

The  Retaliation,  Captain  Townsend,  160  tons,  16  guns, 
and  100  men,  belonging  to  Messrs.  Syers  &  Co.,  took  a 
brig  of  200  tons,  laden  with  tobacco,  flour,  lumber,  etc.,  and 
a  schooner  laden  with  fish,  both  from  America  for  the  West 
Indies,  and  carried  them  into  Antigua.  She  also  captured 
a  large  French  ship,  of  16  guns,  laden  with  bale  goods  and 
provisions,  which  she  carried  into  St.  Kitts. 

The  Friendship,  Captain  Fisher,  on  her  passage  from 
Liverpool  to  Jamaica,  took  a  Dutch  ship,  bound  from  St. 
Eustatia  for  Amsterdam,  laden  with  tobacco,  etc.  ;  also  a 
vessel  from  Charleston,  with  a  cargo  of  rice,  indigo,  etc. 

In  February,  1779,  the  Betsey,  Captain  Fisher,  returned 
from  an  unsuccessful  cruise  of  three  months,  but  on  the 
20th  of  June  following,  she  brought  into  the  Mersey,  the 
Favourite,  an  East  India  ship,  450  tons  burthen,  bound  for 
L'Orient,  with  1,054  billets  red  wood,  484  sacks  of  cowries, 
1 71  bales  of  cotton,  2  bales  dimity,  1,570  bags  of  pepper, 
500  rattans,  27  bags  of  Mocha  coffee,  8  bags  of  Bourbon 
coffee,  1,090  bales  of  coffee,  44^  bales,  2  trunks  and  i  box 
sundries.  On  the  29th  of  August,  the  Betsey  was  taken 
on  her  passage  to  New  York,  three  days  after  leaving 


218  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

Liverpool,  by  the  Alliance  frigate,  of  44  guns,  and  three 
other  ships  in  company,  cruising  off  the  coast  of  Scotland, 
under  Commodore  Paul  Jones. 

On  the  4th  of  March,  1779,  the  Success  (Letter  of 
Marque),  120  tons,  12  guns,  and  30  men,  owned  by 
Messrs.  Crosbie  &  Greenwood,  and  commanded  by 
Captain  Niven,  arrived  in  Hoylake  from  a  cruise,  having 
captured  La  Probite  from  St.  Domingo,  with  a  valuable 
cargo  consisting  of  94  hogsheads  and  4  barrels  of 
tobacco,  43  hogsheads,  3  tierces  and  2  barrels  of  sugar, 
14  tierces,  49  barrels  and  103  bags  of  coffee,  some  cocoa, 
and  hides.  On  the  i4th  of  May,  in  her  passage  to 
Bermuda,  the  Success  fell  in  with  the  Pilgrim  privateer, 
Captain  Hugh  Hill,  from  Beverley,  New  England,  of  16 
nine-pounders  and  150  men,  which  she  engaged.  The 
sailing-master  of  the  Success  was  killed  at  the  first  broad- 
side, and  others  of  her  principal  officers  dangerously 
wounded  before  she  struck.  The  Pilgrim  had  two  of  her 
crew  wounded,  three  of  her  mizen  shrouds  carried  away, 
and  her  sails  and  rigging  greatly  damaged.  The  Pilgrim 
cruised  afterwards  in  lat.  50°  and  long.  13°  to  15°,  and 
took  the  John,  from  New  York  to  Liverpool,  and  the 
Anna  and  Eliza,  from  New  York  for  London,  both  laden 
with  tobacco,  etc.  After  despatching  them,  she  stood  for 
Sligo  Bay,  landed  all  her  prisoners,  and  stood  off  again  to 
pick  up  some  of  the  linen  and  yarn  ships.  She  had  taken 
eight  prizes  in  six  weeks. 

On  the  1 9th  of  February,  1779,  the  Enterprise,  250  tons, 
20  guns,  and  70  men,  belonging  to  Messrs.  Brooks  &  Co., 
and  commanded  by  Captain  Pearce,  took  the  Paulina,  450 
tons  burthen,  from  Cape  Fran9ois  to  Bordeaux,  with 
upwards  of  500  hogsheads  of  sugar,  besides  indigo,  coffee, 
etc.  She  was  pierced  for  22  guns.  On  the  23rd  of  the 
same  month,  Captain  Pearce  captured  LHostilite,  bound 
from  Bordeaux  to  Port-au-Prince,  laden  with  provisions, 


AMERICAN  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE.  249 

etc.  Both  prizes  arrived  safe  in  Liverpool.  On  the  22nd 
of  October,  the  Enterprise,  having  changed  owners  and 
commander,  and  having  been  out  about  a  month  cruising 
on  behalf  of  Messrs.  Francis  Ingram  &  Co.,  whose  instruc- 
tions to  Captain  Haslam  we  gave  in  a  former  chapter, 
brought  into  the  Mersey  L"  Aventurier,  of  22  guns,  and  50 
men,  from  Martinico  to  Bordeaux,  with  105  bales  of  cotton, 
28  hogsheads  of  tobacco,  600  hogsheads  of  clayed  sugar, 
38  hogsheads  of  Muscovado  sugar,  14  tierces  and  23  barrels 
of  sugar,  164  hogsheads,  49  tierces  and  115  barrels  of 
coffee,  6  tierces,  235  bags  and  i  barrel  of  cocoa,  and 
2000  Ibs.  of  cassia  fistula.  On  the  i4th  of  September, 
1780,  the  Courier,  200  tons,  captured  on  the  passage  from 
Bordeaux  to  St.  Sebastian,  by  the  Enterprise  and  the  Stag, 
of  Jersey,  arrived  in  Liverpool.  The  prize  cargo,  as 
advertised  to  be  sold  at  the  St.  George's  Coffee-house,  con- 
sisted of  141  casks  of  sugar,  82  bales  of  hemp,  7  hogsheads 
of  claret,  i  hogshead  of  Virginia  tobacco,  paint,  copper 
pans,  marble  slabs,  looking  glass  frames,  12  new  chairs, 
41  new  guns,  and  8  new  carriages.  The  brig  Le  Vaillant, 
another  prize  taken  by  Captain  Haslam,  laden  with  wine, 
flour,  sugar,  etc.,  was  lost  on  the  Burbo,  on  September  i2th, 
1780,  and  only  one  man  saved.  About  140  casks  of  claret 
and  74  barrels  of  flour,  etc.,  were  recovered  from  the  wreck. 
In  quick  succession  there  arrived  the  following  prizes, 
captured  by  the  same  successful  privateer :  —  The  San 
Pedro,  150  tons,  taken  on  her  passage  from  Bayonne  to 
Bordeaux,  with  900  barrels  of  flour,  1 1  casks  of  brandy,  etc. ; 
the  St.  Joseph,  40  tons,  from  Bordeaux  to  St.  Sebastian, 
with  484  casks  of  resin,  etc.;  and  the  brig  Le  Moineau, 
from  Nantz  to  St.  Domingo,  with  a  miscellaneous  cargo 
that  would  have  delighted  Robinson  Crusoe — flour,  claret, 
nails,  canvas,  sail  cloth,  Castile  soap,  tallow  and  wax 
candles,  butter,  tallow,  bread,  cheese,  pork,  salad  oil,  lin- 
seed oil,  linens,  drugs,  Epsom  salts,  thread,  handkerchiefs, 


250  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVA  TEERS. 

thread  stockings,  men  and  women's  shoes,  hair  powder, 
snuff,  earthenware,  flint  glass,  barrel  staves,  etc.,  coopers' 
twiggs,  copper  pans,  scales,  garden  seeds,  swivel  balls, 
etc.,  all  sold  by  auction  at  St.  George's  Coffee-house. 

The  Molly,  Captain  Woods,  240  tons,  14  guns,  and  40 
men,  belonging  to  Messrs.  Rawlinson  &  Co.  ;  the  Wasp, 
Captain  Byrne,  220  tons,  14  guns,  and  95  men,  owned  by 
Messrs.  Kennion  &  Co. ;  and  the  Bess,  Captain  Perrey,  all 
belonging  to  Liverpool,  and  cruising  in  company,  took  a 
schooner  bound  from  Bordeaux  to  Philadelphia,  loaded 
with  tea,  silks,  etc.,  which  arrived  in  the  Mersey  on 
February  25th,  1779.  They  also  captured  a  brig  bound 
from  France  to  the  West  Indies,  laden  with  provisions. 
The  Wasp  and  the  Bess,  in  company,  took  a  ship  from  St. 
Domingo  for  France,  with  a  cargo  of  coffee,  indigo  and 
ivory,  which  likewise  entered  the  Mersey  on  February  25th. 
The  Molly  soon  afterwards  captured  the  St.  Augustine,  a 
three-decked  ship,  from  Port-au-Prince  to  Nantz,  mounting 
10  nine-pounders  and  carrying  40  men.  She  was  laden  with 
536  hogsheads  and  5  tierces  of  Muscovado  sugar,  8  hogs- 
heads, 61  tierces  and  97  barrels  of  indigo,  and  300  hides. 
The  Molly  was  captured  on  September  4th,  1782,  on  her 
passage  from  Liverpool  to  St.  Lucia,  by  two  frigates  bound 
to  Marseilles. 

The  West  India  fleet  sailed  from  Cork  on  the  ist  of 
March,  under  convoy  of  two  74-gun  ships,  one  of  50  guns, 
and  two  frigates.  In  the  same  month,  a  gentleman  in  Man- 
chester, received  the  following  testimonial  to  the  activity  of 
our  privateers,  from  his  correspondent  at  Bordeaux:— 
"Very  many  rich  and  respectable  merchants  here,  have 
been  already  ruined  by  the  great  success  of  your  privateers 
and  cruizers.  Many  more  must  fall  soon.  May  God,  of 
his  mercy  to  us,  put  an  end  speedily  to  this  destructive  and 
ridiculous  war." 

Early  in  the  year   1779,   Captain  Ash,   of  the    Terrible, 


AMERICAN  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE.  251 

250  tons,  20  guns,  and  130  men,  belonging  to  Messrs. 
Nottingham  &  Co.,  took  a  large  snow  called  La  Victoire, 
from  St.  Domingo  to  Bordeaux,  and  on  the  same  day,  a 
large  ship  from  Port-au-Prince,  called  LI  Age  D'Or,  both  of 
which  arrived  safe  in  Liverpool.  Their  united  cargoes 
consisted  of  774  hogsheads  and  22  tierces  of  sugar,  29 
barrels,  29  half-barrels,  65  quarter-casks,  and  40,000  pounds 
of  coffee  ;  120  bags  of  ginger,  120  bales,  n  bags  and  3 
pockets  of  cotton,  and  2  quarter-barrels  indigo.  Captain 
Ash  also  recaptured  and  sent  into  Cork,  the  Leinster  Packet, 
from  Bristol  to  Galway,  which  had  been  taken  the  previous 
day  by  the  Rocket,  of  16  guns  and  1 10  men. 

On  Sunday,  February  28th,  1779,  the  Griffin,  Captain 
Grimshaw,  130  tons,  14  guns,  and  90  men,  owned  by  Messrs. 
Hall  &  Co.,  brought  into  the  Mersey  the  Count  de  St. 
Germain,  a  large  St.  Domingoman,  ot  14  guns  and  33  men, 
bound  to  Nantz  with  two  passengers,  and  a  valuable  cargo 
of  sugar,  molasses,  coffee,  cotton,  indigo,  cocoa  and  tortoise 
shell.  The  Frenchman  fought  for  eight  hours  before  he 
struck.  The  Griffin  had  two  men  severely  wounded,  one  of 
whom  died  of  his  wounds.  The  arrival  of  this  and  several 
other  prizes  in  the  same  week  "appeared  to  occasion  very 
general  satisfaction"  in  Liverpool.  In  April,  1780 — more 
than  a  year  after  the  capture — an  advertisement  appeared  in 
the  papers  desiring  the  officers,  seamen,  and  others  having 
legal  demands  against  the  late  owners  of  the  privateer 
Griffin,  or  her  prize  Le  Compte  de  St.  Germain  to  attend  at 
33,  Edmund  Street  (the  street  where  John  Newton  formerly 
resided),  to  receive  their  due.  Thus,  "  Poor  Jack,"after  risk- 
ing his  life  and  losing  a  limb  in  his  desperate  employment, 
had  long  to  wait  for  his  share  of  the  plunder,  and  was  too  fre- 
quently the  prey  of  land  sharks.  Many  of  those  interested  in 
the  Griffin's  prize  had  probably  gone  elsewhere  to  receive 
their  due,  before  the  invitation  to  Oldhall  Street  was  issued. 
The  Rawlinson  and  the  Clarendon,  of  Liverpool, 


252  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

recaptured  off  the  Land's  End,  the  Wey mouth  Packet,  which 
had  sailed  from  Jamaica  without  convoy  and  been  taken  by 
the  General  Sullivan  privateer,  of  Portsmouth,  New  England. 

The  Dreadnought,  Captain  Cooper,  took  a  vessel  laden 
with  salt,  and  sent  her  into  Mount  Bay,  in  February,  1779. 
On  the  5th  of  March,  the  Dreadnought,  Captain  Taylor, 
200  tons,  20  guns,  and  120  men,  belonging  to  Messrs. 
Wagner  &  Co.,  returned  from  a  cruise,  bringing  in  with 
her  the  U'Aimable  Agatha  from  St.  Domingo,  with  "237 
hogsheads  of  sugar,  80  bales  of  cotton,  150,000  weight  of 
coffee,  and  600  weight  of  indigo."  The  head  of  the  firm  of 
Messrs.  Wagner  &  Co.,  was  Mr.  Benedict  Paul  Wagner, 
the  maternal  grandfather  of  Felicia  Dorothea  Hemans, 
some  of  whose  earliest  poems  were  written  at  what  is  now 
the  "Loggerheads  Revived"  tavern,  in  Richmond  Row. 

On  the  3Oth  of  March,  1779,  five  leagues  off  Cape  Clear, 
the  Polly,  of  and  for  Liverpool,  was  taken  by  the  French 
privateer  Monsieur,  of  40  guns,  and  450  men.  After  being 
ransomed  for  1250  guineas,  the  Polly  proceeded  on  her 
voyage,  but  on  the  following  day,  another  French  vessel  of 
36  guns,  a  consort  of  the  Monsieur,  fired  four  guns  at  the 
Polly,  but  the  latter  luckily  made  the  port  of  Skibbereen 
before  the  Frenchman  could  come  up  with  her. 

The  Tom,  Captain  Davis,  a  slaver  of  100  tons,  12  guns, 
and  36  men,  belonging  to  Mr.  Clement,  was  taken  on  her 
passage  from  Africa  by  two  French  36-gun  ships,  a  brig 
and  several  armed  boats.  The  Tom  was  purchased  from 
the  French  to  bring  the  people  home.  The  Hereford, 
Captain  Harrison,  the  Providence,  Captain  Colley,  and  the 
Juno,  Captain  Beaver,  all  slave  ships  belonging  to  Liver- 
pool, were  taken  by  the  French  on  the  coast  of  Africa. 
The  Juno,  a  vessel  of  90  tons  burthen,  14  guns,  and  40 
men,  belonged  to  Messrs.  Hartley  &  Co. 

The  Hunter,  Captain  Ashburn,  was  taken  on  her  passage 
to  New  York  by  a  rebel  privateer,  of  16  guns,  called  the 


AMERICAN  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE.  253 

Pallas,  after  an  engagement  of  "  five  glasses,"  wherein  the 
Hunter  had  four  men  killed  and  sixteen  wounded.  The 
American  had  many  men  killed  and  wounded,  and  was  so 
torn  to  pieces  in  her  hull  and  rigging  that  she  had  to  put 
into  Newbury. 

The  Nancy,  Captain  Adams,  on  her  passage  from  Tortola 
to  Liverpool,  had  a  very  smart  engagement  with  an 
American  privateer,  of  18  guns,  and  beat  her  off.  Captain 
Adams's  men  in  the  tops  with  small  arms,  made  great 
slaughter  amongst  the  privateer's  people. 

The  Sturdy  Beggar,  Captain  Cooper,  160  tons,  16  guns, 
and  160  men,  belonging  to  Messrs.  Davenport  &  Co.,  took 
the  St.  Michael,  from  Cape  Fran9ois  for  Nantz,  with  325 
hogsheads,  14  tierces  and  4  barrels  of  sugar,  147  casks  and 
20 1  bags  of  coffee,  22  casks  of  indigo,  12  bags  of  cocoa,  i  bag 
of  cotton,  and  246  hides,  which  arrived  in  Liverpool  in  May, 
1779.  On  the  4th  of  September,  the  Le  Moissonier,  from 
Cayenne  to  St.  Malo,  laden  with  cotton,  cocoa,  mahogany, 
etc.,  a  prize  to  the  Sturdy  Beggar,  Captain  Humphrey, 
arrived  in  the  Mersey  ;  and  on  the  8th  of  the  same  month, 
the  privateer  returned  from  her  cruise,  bringing  in  La  Salta 
Nostra  Senora  del  Rosario,  Captain  Buenaventura  Prana, 
from  Buenos  Ayres  to  Cadiz,  laden  with  dollars,  skins,  wool, 
etc.  On  the  2gth  of  October,  1779,  the  Sturdy  Beggar,  then 
in  Fayal  Road,  parted  both  cables  in  a  gale  of  wind,  drove 
on  shore,  and  in  ten  minutes  went  entirely  to  pieces,  four  of 
her  crew  being  drowned.  Five  other  vessels  were  totally 
lost  in  the  same  manner,  and  at  the  same  time  and  place. 

On  the  20th  of  April,  1779,  the  Vulture,  Captain  Allanson, 
took  the  St.  Cyprian,  400  tons  burthen,  from  Martinico  to 
Bordeaux  ;  and  in  August,  a  large  Spanish  snow  called  the 
San  Esteven,  from  Orinoco  to  Cadiz,  with  14,000  rolls  of 
"the  Genuine  and  Fine  Oronoque  Vorcena  or  Cannastre 
Tobacco,"  23  tons  of  cocoa,  400  hides,  370  dollars,  and  some 
chests  of  medicine.  Early  in  1782,  the  Vulture,  on  her 


254  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

passage  from  Jamaica  to  Liverpool,  captured  a  brig  and  a 
snow,  one  of  which  foundered  on  the  coast  of  Ireland. 

The  Will,  Captain  Lewtas,  cruising  in  company  with 
another  vessel,  took  the  La  Meredale,  from  Virginia  for 
Cadiz,  with  240  hogsheads  of  tobacco,  and  70  barrels  of  tar 
and  turpentine.  The  Nanny,  Captain  Harrison,  14  guns 
and  70  men,  belonging  to  Messrs.  Watts  &  Rawson,  on 
her  passage  to  Jamaica,  took  a  Swede  from  St.  Domingo  ; 
and  the  Jamaica,  350  tons,  18  guns,  and  no  men,  owned 
by  Messrs.  Birch  &  Co.,  captured  two  prizes. 

The  Ashton,  Captain  Thompson,  on  her  passage  to  the 
Baltic,  had  a  severe  engagement  with  two  French  privateers, 
one  a  snow,  of  18  guns,  and  the  other  a  brig,  of  16  guns. 
When  at  last  the  Liverpool  vessel  was  obliged  to  strike  to 
superior  force,  she  had  only  her  foremast  standing.  The 
mate  died  of  his  wounds.  The  boatswain  of  the  Ashton 
was  carried  off  as  ransomer.  The  same  privateers  captured 
and  ransomed  the  Hannah,  belonging  to  Messrs.  Heywood, 
and  shortly  after  were  themselves  taken  by  the  Fairy  sloop 
of  war  and  the  Griffin  cutter. 

The  Zte/z^/z/ (Letter  of  Marque),  Captain  Dawson,  120  tons, 
12  guns,  and  39  men,  belonging  to  Messrs.  Rawlinson  &  Co., 
was  lost  upon  Cape  May  in  a  fog,  and  her  crew  made 
prisoners. 

The  barque  Swift,  Captain  W.  Brighouse,  belonging  to 
Messrs.  W.  Davenport  &  Co.,  having  lost  sight  of  the 
Jamaica  fleet  and  convoy,  off  the  west-end  of  Cuba,  pro- 
ceeded on  her  passage  alone,  and  was  captured  by  the 
General  Arnold  privateer,  20  guns  and  85  men,  Captain 
James  M'Gee,  of  Boston.  Most  of  the  captain's  letters, 
papers,  and  clothes  were  taken  from  him,  and  he  was 
nearly  stripped  of  everything  he  had. 

The  Tyger  (Letter  of  Marque),  Captain  Amery,  300 
tons,  16  guns,  and  60  men,  belonging  to  Messrs.  James 
France  &  Co.,  was  taken  on  her  passage  from  Liverpool  to 


AMERICAN  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE.  255 

Jamaica,  by  a  French  frigate,  and  carried  into  Hispaniola  ; 
and  the  Adventure,  Captain  Hyatt,  a  privateer  of  160  tons, 
14  guns,  and  80  men,  belonging  to  Messrs.  Newby  &  Co.,  was 
taken,  in  company  with  a  Glasgow  privateer,  of  14  guns, 
by  an  American  privateer,  of  20  guns. 

The  privateer  Spitfire,  200  tons,   16  guns,  and  100  men, 

Captain  Thomas  Bell,  was  captured  by  a  French  frigate, 

which  also  took  the  Intrepid,   Captain   Buddicome.     The 

Intrepid  was  retaken  by  the  Dublin  (Letter  of  Marque), 

Captain  Harding,  and  carried  into  New  York.     The  owners 

of  the  Spitfire,  Messrs.  J.  Zuill  &  Co.,  received  the  following 

letter  from  Captain  Bell,  dated  L'Orient,  May  2nd,  1779:— 

"  I  am  sorry  to  acquaint  you  with  my  misfortune.     On  the 

igth  of  April,  in  lat.  46.  20.  long-.  5.  10.  we  met  with  the  La 

frigate,  of  32  guns,  26  twelves  and  6  six-pounders, 

removable  to  either  side,  which  made  19  guns  on  the  side  they 
engaged,  and  three  brass  swivels  of  one  pound  each,  with  246 
men.  We  began  to  engage  about  fifty  or  sixty  yards  distance, 
and  from  that  to  thirty.  The  fire  was  brisk  on  both  sides  and 
well  kept  up  for  one  hour  and  fifteen  minutes,  having  then  only 
two  guns  on  the  starboard  side,  and  five  on  the  larboard  fit  for 
action.  We  were  at  last  obliged  to  strike  our  colours,  or 
rather  the  Union  thereof,  as  the  other  part  was  shot  away.  In 
all  our  sails,  from  the  royals  downwards,  there  was  scarce  one 
piece  left  the  size  of  a  sheet.  Our  standing  and  running 
rigging  cut  entirely  to  pieces  ;  two  ports  made  into  one,  and 
the  ship's  side  like  a  rabbit  warren.  You  may  rest  assured  I 
have  discharged  the  duty  of  a  man,  both  in  courage  and  con- 
duct. Four  killed  and  six  wounded." 

On  the  2oth  of  June,  1779,  the  Commerce,  Captain  Woods, 
on  her  passage  from  Liverpool  to  Halifax,  fell  in  with  an 
American  privateer,  of  16  six-pounders  and  75  men,  which 
she  beat  off  after  an  engagement  of  three  hours  and-a-half, 
with  the  loss  of  one  man  killed  and  four  wounded.  On  the 
24th  of  June,  she  fell  in  with  another  privateer,  of  14  six- 
pounders,  and  full  of  men,  which  she  also  beat  off,  after  a 


256  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

very  obstinate  engagement  of  four  hours,  in  which  she  had 
one  man  killed,  and  the  Captain  and  four  more  men  wounded. 
The  Commerce  had  but  forty-two  people  on  board,  and  14 
carriage  guns,  six  and  four-pounders.  In  December,  1780, 
we  read  of  the  Commerce,  Captain  Curwin,  being  retaken  and 
carried  into  New  York. 

The  paper  of  July  2nd,  1779,  announced  that  orders  had 
been  despatched  to  all  the  seaports  to  lay  an  embargo  on  all 
ships,  that  none  might  put  to  sea  until  all  the  men-of-war 
which  were  wanted  for  immediate  service,  had  got  their  full 
complement  of  men. 

The  Corporation  of  Liverpool  were  at  this  time — and, 
indeed,  at  all  times — as  effusively  loyal  in  words  and  deeds 
as  the  merchants  of  Liverpool  were  far-seeing  and  warlike 
in  their  enterprises.  At  a  special  Council,  held  on  June  26th, 
1779,  it  was  resolved  that  an  address,  under  the  Common 
Seal,  should  be  presented  to  the  King  ;  "as  a  testimony  of 
our  duty  and  affection  for  your  Majesty's  royal  person,  and 
of  our  attachment  to  the  welfare  and  prosperity  of  your 
kingdoms  at  the  present  alarming  juncture  ;  when  from  the 
perfidious  alliances  of  our  natural  and  combined  enemies, 
the  House  of  Bourbon,  with  your  Majesty's  revolted  colonies 
in  America,  to  succour  rebellion  against  the  parent  state, 
this  nation  and  the  most  formidable  powers  in  Europe  must 
be  unavoidably  involved  in  all  the  calamities  of  war."  Their 
loyalty  did  not  evaporate  in  mere  professions,  for,  at  the 
same  council,  it  was  ordered  "that  a  bounty  of  ten  guineas 
for  every  able  seaman,  and  five  guineas  for  every  ordinary 
seaman,  should  be  offered,  and  be  paid  by  the  Corporation 
treasurer  to  every  volunteer  who  should  enter  on  board  any 
of  the  King's  ships  of  war  at  Liverpool." 

"According  to  accounts  from  the  Admiralty,"  says 
the  Liverpool  paper  of  July  gth,  1779,  "upwards  of 
250  Warrants  have  been  granted  for  making  out  Letters 
of  Marque  in  Doctors  Commons,  since  the  Spanish 


AMERICAN  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE.  257 

Ambassador  delivered  his  manifesto;  and  it  is  certain 
upon  a  moderate  computation,  there  will  not  be  less  than 
700  sail  of  privateers  and  Letters  of  Marque  fitted  out  at  the 
different  ports  in  this  Kingdom." 

The  Richard,  Captain  Lee  (a  Letter  of  Marque),  of  150 
tons,  16  guns,  and  70  men,  owned  by  Messrs.  Rawlinson 
&  Co.,  brought  in  with  her  a  large  schooner,  laden  with 
sugar,  cotton,  coffee,  molasses,  &c.,  bound  from  Guadaloupe 
to  America,  which  she  had  captured  in  her  passage  from 
Tortola.  The  Juliana,  Captain  Robinson,  on  her  passage 
to  Antigua,  took  two  prizes,  bound  from  France  to  the 
West  Indies,  and  the  Ranger,  Captain  Adams,  took  a  Dutch 
ship  bound  from  Marseilles  to  St.  Valery,  and  sent  her  to 
Liverpool.  On  the  26th  of  August,  a  French  snow  called 
the  Chamont,  bound  from  Beaufort,  North  Carolina  to 
Nantz,  with  tobacco,  naval  stores,  and  indigo,  arrived  in 
Liverpool,  having  been  captured  by  the  slave  ship  Blossom, 
Captain  Doyle,  on  her  passage  to  Africa.  The  slave  ships 
were  often  lucky  in  taking  prizes.  The  Nancy,  Captain 
Hammond,  a  slaver  of  250  tons,  20  guns,  and  59  men, 
belonging  to  Messrs.  Fowden  &  Berry,  arrived  at  Jamaica 
with  430  slaves;  and  the  Nancy,  Captain  Nelson,  belonging 
to  Messrs.  Pringle  &  Co.,  a  vessel  of  150  tons,  16  guns,  and 
50  men,  with  420  slaves.  The  latter  captured  and  carried 
in  with  him  a  valuable  prize,  a  Guineaman  with  200  slaves. 
The  Gregson,  Captain  Jolly,  belonging  to  Messrs.  Boats  & 
Gregson,  also  arrived  at  Jamaica  with  a  valuable  prize. 

Early  in  July,  1779,  the  Amazon  privateer,  of  14  nine- 
pounders,  and  95  men,  Captain  Charles  Lowe  Whytell, 
returned  from  a  cruise,  with  a  Portuguese  brig,  which  she 
had  taken,  bound  from  Lisbon  to  Havre.  A  few  weeks  later 
a  much  finer  stroke  of  good  fortune  befell  the  Amazon.  A 
letter,  dated  Cork,  September  gth,  1779,  gives  the  following 
particulars: — 

"Yesterday  was  brought  into  Cove,  the  Sancte  Incas,  Don 


253  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

Fr.  Renosso,  a  Spanish  man-of-war,  from  Manilla  to  Cadiz, 
deeply  laden  with  gold,  silver,  coffee,  china,  cochineal,  and 
indigo,  800  tons  burthen,  mounting- 18  twelve-pounders,  and  some 
small  guns,  but  pierced  for  forty  guns,  and  had  130  men.  She 
was  taken  the  23rd  ult.,  off  the  Western  Isles,  by  the  Amazon 
privateer,  of  Liverpool,  and  the  Ranger,  of  Bristol,  of  16  guns 
each,  after  an  engagement  of  two  hours.  A  cask  of  gunpowder 
taking  fire  on  board  the  prize,  forty  of  her  hands  were  blown 
up,  which  threw  them  into  such  confusion  as  to  give  the  brave 
English  tars  an  opportunity  of  boarding  her,  with  the  loss  only 
of  one  man.  She  is  deemed  the  most  valuable  prize  taken 
since  the  rich  Acapulco  ship  by  the  late  Lord  Anson.  In  her 
after  hold,  the  King  of  Spain's  cargo  is  stowed,  which  is 
supposed  to  be  gold  and  silver,  but  not  yet  opened.  The 
captain  and  crew  were  not  permitted  to  see  it  when  shipped,  as 
she  was  laden  by  porters,  which  is  the  usual  custom  at  Manilla  ; 
nor  is  it  supposed  it  will  be  examined  until  the  owners  of  the 
privateers  from  England  arrive  here." 

Captain   Whytell's  *  own  account,  written  at  sea,  is   as 
follows  : — 

On  Tuesday,  the  24th  August,  we  saw  a  ship,  which  proved 
to  be  a  Spaniard;  and  at  five  minutes  after  twelve  o'clock  p.m., 
began  to  engage  her.  She  looked  exceeding  large,  and  shewed 
fifteen  guns  on  a  side,  but  we  could  not  tell  whether  they  were 
metal  or  not  until  we  tried  ;  so  run  up  and  received  her  fire, 
and  found  she  had  only  fourteen  metal  guns,  but  they  were 
heavy  ones.  We  gave  her  two  broadsides  for  one,  and 
continued  the  engagement  for  three  glasses  very  briskly,  and 
then  lost  sight  of  her  for  ten  minutes  in  a  cloud  of  smoke,  and 
feared  she  had  sunk.  When  it  cleared  up  we  perceived  her 
endeavouring  to  make  her  escape,  and  gave  chase  to  her  again ; 
came  up  with,  received  her  broadside,  and  returned  only  a  few 
guns  before  she  struck  her  colours.  A  Bristol  privateer  (which 


*  Among  the  obituary  notices  of  1795,  is  the  following  :  "  On  the  I3th  of  June, 
1795,  in  Hamoaze,  on  board  his  Iviajesty's  ship  Standard,  Capt.  Ellison,  Air. 
Charles  Lowe  Why  tell,  lately  tide  surveyor  at  Hoylake." 


AMERICAN  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE.  259 

we  afterwards  found  to  be  the  Ranger)  came  up  during  the 
engagement,  but  kept  aloof,  and  never  fired  one  gun.  We 
having  received  much  damage  in  our  rigging  and  sails,  and  our 
yard  teacles  shot  away,  the  Bristol  privateer  took  the  advantage 
and  boarded  her  first,  and  received  the  Captain's  sword  and 
papers,  which  they  did  not  deserve. 

"  She  proved  to  be  the  St.  Agnes,  a  Spanish  frigate,  com- 
manded by  Fernando  de  Reynosa,  from  Manilla  bound  to  Cadiz ; 
larger  than  any  of  our  thirty-six  gun  frigate.5,  and  pierced  for 
forty  guns.  She  had  two  eighteen  and  twelve  nine-pounders 
mounted,  and  upwards  of  150  men,  of  whom  forty-seven  were 
killed  and  wounded  in  the  action,  and  in  an  explosion  of  gun- 
powder ;  (thirty-three  of  the  forty-seven  are  dead). 

"We  only  lost  one  brave  fellow  (the  master's  mate)  who 
had  his  arm  shot  off  by  an  eighteen-pounder,  close  to  his 
shoulder,  and  he  died  in  about  an  hour.  My  officers  and  ship's 
company  all  behaved  like  men  of  true  courage  during  the  whole 
engagement.  I  believe  the  prize  is  very  rich  ;  but  know  not 
yet  what  she  is  loaden  with,  therefore  cannot  ascertain  her 
value." 

"The  prize,"  says  the  editor,  "is  since  arrived  safe  in 
Cork,  and  the  Amazon  is  come  into  Hoyle-lake.  Letters 
from  Ireland  say  the  above  prize  is  worth  one  million." 

Amongst  other  curiosities  exhibited  in  Liverpool  in  the 
year  1780,  was  a  zebra,  shipped  on  board  the  St.  Inez — for 
that  was  the  real  name  of  the  Amazons  prize — at  the  Cape, 
as  a  present  for  the  King  of  Spain.  An  elaborate  descrip- 
tion of  this  zebra,  as  an  animal  exceedingly  rare  and  curious, 
appeared  in  the  columns  of  the  local  papers. 

The  paper  of  August  6th,  1779,  stated  that  the  Charming 
Kitty  privateer,  Captain  Williams,  had  captured  and  sent 
into  the  Mersey,  a  Spanish  brig  laden  with  dollars  and 
provisions,  and  was  left  in  chase  of  a  large  ship.  A  week 
later,  we  read  that  the  Charming  Kitty,  "cruising  in  lat. 
41°  10',  long.  10°  30'  took  a  Spanish  brig  laden  with  125  bar- 
rels of  beef,  762  quintals  of  rice,  744  quintals  of  calavences, 


260  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVA  TEERS. 

904  quintals  beans,  2505  bottles  of  oil,  two  trunks  and  one 
bale  merchandize,  and  130  dollars." 

A    letter    from    Fougeres    Castle,    Ille-et-Vilaine,    dated 
August  i6th,  1779,  says: — 

"  I  have  the  happiness  of  conveying'  to  you  a  letter  by  a 
prisoner  who  is  to  be  exchanged  in  room  of  the  Americans, 
and  take  the  opportunity  to  let  you  and  my  friends  know  in 
what  manner  we  have  been  used.  In  the  first  place  we  have 
a  pound  and  half  of  bread,  such  as  is  the  cause  of  all  the  sick- 
ness, beef  is  but  just  good  enough  for  dogs,  sometimes  it 
amounts  to  half  a  pound  a  day,  but  more  often  to  six  ounces, 
sometimes  we  have  peas,  and  those  so  bad  that  one  half  of 
them  are  as  hard  when  they  come  out  of  the  furnace  as  when 
first  put  in.  The  worst  of  usage  in  England  for  the  prisoners 
is  absolutely  too  good.  The  great  havock  it  made  in  Dinan 
last  winter  is  astonishing  !  Thirty  died  of  a  day,  in  the  whole 
about  1600.  They  were  put  into  a  cart,  a  pit  dug,  and  were 
thrown  in  like  dogs.  We  have  nothing  to  lie  on  but  straw 
full  of  vermin,  which  deprives  us  of  rest.  The  beds  we  had  at 
first  are  taken  away,  and  we  are  now  treated  as  if  we  were 
horses.  We  dread  the  thought  of  another  winter,  and  expect 
nothing  but  to  fall  victims  to  death." 

In  September,  1779,  the  following  advertisement  appeared 
in  the  Liverpool  papers  : — 

"  Port  of  Milford.     To  all  Commanders  of  his  Majesty's 

ships  of  war,  cruisers,  Letters  of  Marque,  etc.      For  the  more 

speedy  condemnation  of  American,  French,  and  Spanish  prizes, 

captured  by  the  said  ships,  the  High  Court  of  Admiralty  hath 

issued   out   commissions   appointing   commissioners,    etc.,   for 

taking  depositions,  etc.,  for  condemnation  of  such  prizes  in  the 

said  port  of  Milford.  W.  WRIGHT,  Actuary." 

On  Saturday,  the  i8th  of  September,  1779,  theMot/y,  late 

Captain  Seddon,  arrived  in  Liverpool  from  Tortola.      Her 

people  had  a  sad  story  to  tell.     On  the  7th  September,  she 

had  encountered  an  American  privateer,  of  22  guns  on  one 

deck,    besides   quarter-deck    and    forecastle   guns,    a   force 


AMERICAN  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE.  261 

greatly  superior  to  that  of  the  Molly.  After  a  hot  engage- 
ment which  lasted  upwards  of  an  hour,  the  privateer  sheered 
off,  having  received  considerable  damage,  and,  it  was 
supposed,  with  many  of  her  people  killed  and  wounded.  On 
board  the  Molly,  Captain  Seddon  and  five  of  his  brave  crew 
were  killed,  and  seven  wounded.  "  True  courage,"  says  the 
Liverpool  Advertiser,  "was  never  more  conspicuous  than  in 
Captain  Seddon's  conduct  during  the  engagement,  nor  was 
ever  young  man  more  deservedly  respected,  not  only  in  the 
capacity  of  a  commander,  but  in  private  life,  by  all  who 
knew  him." 

With  so  many  local  instances  of  the  heroism  of  British 
seamen  coming  under  his  observation,  well   might  Liver- 
pool's blind  poet  champion  the  cause  of 
"A  race  renown'd  in  story  : 

A  race  whose  wrongs  are  Britain's  stain, 
Whose  deeds  are  Britain's  glory. 

By  them  when  Courts  have  banish'd  peace, 
Your  seagirt  land's  protected, 

But  when  war's  horrid  thunderings  cease, 
These  bulwarks  are  neglected." 

The  Defiance,  Captain  Thomson,  took  the  Francisco  de 
Paula,  laden  with  wool,  hides,  and  dollars,  but  the  prize, 
minus  the  dollars,  was  re-captured  by  the  notorious  Dun- 
kirk (alias  Black  Prince)  privateer,  of  Dunkirk,  which  also 
took  the  Three  Friends ,*  Captain  Maine,  on  her  passage  from 

*  The  following  notice  appeared  in  the  papers  :  — 

LIVERPOOL,  September  24th,  1779. 

"  Whereas,  Samuel  Maine,  master  of  the  Three  Friends,  Letter  of  Marque,  of 
Liverpool,  bound  to  New  York,  was  captured  the  igth  inst.,  in  Lalliman's  Bay,  in 
the  Island  of  Jura,  by  the  Dunkirk  privateer,  of  Dunkirk,  commanded  by  J.  B. 
Royei- ;  who  afterwards  disposed  of  to  the  beforementioned  Samuel  Maine,  a 
sloop  laden  with  kelp,  which  the  said  privateer  had  likewi-e  taken,  after  the  .crew 
had  totafly  deserted  her.  This  is  inserted  with  a  wish  to  apprize  the  owners  of  the 
said  sloop,  that  unless  application  is  made  for  the  sloop  and  her  cargo,  and  all 
demands  and  expense-;  incurred  upon  her  discharged  before  the  expiration  of 
twenty-one  days,  fom  this  date,  the  sloop's  cargo  will  then  be  absolutely  sold  by 
public  auction,  to  defray  such  charges  ns  may  have  accrued  from  the  time  of  her 
capture,  to  release  the  hostage  given  by  Captain  Maine.  Every  proper  enquiry 
will  be  fully  answered  and  attended  to  by  Crosdale,  Barrow  &  Co." 


262  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVA  TEERS. 

Liverpool  to  New  York.  The  Defiance  was  taken  on  her 
passage  to  the  West  Indies  by  a  French  privateer. 

In  September,  1779,  a  Special  Council  was  held,  to  take 
into  consideration  the  most  effectual  method  of  putting  the 
town  into  a  state  of  defence  against  a  possible  descent  by 
Paul  Jones,  or  any  other  invader.*  Orders  were  passed  "to 
remove  the  gunpowder  from  the  magazines  in  Cheshire  to 
the  New  Fort,  and  St.  George's  Battery  ;  to  apply  to  the 
Government  for  a  thousand  stand  of  arms  for  the  use  of 
such  gentlemen  and  privates  who  may  offer  themselves  to 
serve  as  volunteers  in  case  of  the  enemy  landing  on  the 
coast  ;  that  steps  be  immediately  taken  to  receive  names  for 
volunteer  service  ;  that  application  be  made  for  the  removal 
of  the  French  and  Spanish  prisoners  now  confined  in  the 
gaol  at  Mount  Pleasant  to  the  Castles  of  Chester,  Carlisle, 
etc.,  and  for  the  removal  of  the  prisoners  now  on  parole  at 
Ormskirk  and  Wigan  to  some  more  inland  situation  ;  that 
a  pilot-boat  be  sent  out  to  cruise  off  Point  Lynas,  to  give 
intelligence  upon  the  appearance  of  an  enemy,  and  that 
boats  be  stationed  at  the  different  buoys  along  the  coast  to 
sink  them  in  case  of  imminent  danger." 

On  the  29th  of  October,  1779,  as  the  Stag  privateer, 
Captain  Wilson,  ready  for  a  cruise,  was  sailing  up  and 
down  the  river,  to  the  admiration  of  a  crowd  on  shore,  as 
was  the  custom  of  privateers  about  to  go  forth  against  "  the 

*"  Though  the  present  Administration  cannot  be  called  felicitating,  or  that  «e 
now  sit  quietly  under  our  vine  and  fig  tree,:>  says  the  paper  of  September  loth, 
I779>  "yet  the  public  need  not  be  apprehensive  that  an  invasion  of  consequence 
can  take  place  till  our  fleet  be  first  destroyed.  We  are  to  consider  that  to  effect 
the  Revolution,  the  Prince  of  Orange  (afterwards  the  Glorious  King  Wil  iam), 
had  with  him  52  men-of-war,  and  25  frigates,  with  400  large  Dutch  transport 
ships,  for  the  bringing  over  of  3,660  horse,  and  10,692  foot.  From  this  it  would 
seem,  that  800  transports  should  be  necessary  (besides  men-of-war)  to  land  in 
these  kingdoms  30,000  men.  This  number  of  ships  the  French  and  Spaniards 
have  not  ready,  nor  will  they  venture  so  hazardous  an  enterprise  till  Sir  Charles 
Hardy's  fleet  shall  be  discomfited.  This,  we  trust  in  the  great  Disposer  of  Events, 
will  not  be  the  case.  From  the  preparations,  spirit,  and  unanimity  that  now 
appear,  none  can  seriously  believe  that  even  30,000  troops  could  conquer  Britain 
or  Ireland.  Away  then  with  false,  unmanly  fears.  Let  magnanimity  and  fortitude, 
vigilance,  activity,  and  the  love  of  our  country  animate  us  to  the  noblest  actions." 


AMERICAN  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE.  263 

enemies  of  Great  Britain,"  she  got  aground  near  the 
Codling  Gag  and  bulged.  Most  of  the  ship's  stores  were 
saved.  On  the  i8th  of  February,  1780,  the  Stag  captured 
a  French  ship,  bound  from  Bordeaux  to  Martinico,  laden 
with  wine,  provisions,  bale  goods,  etc.  Early  in  1781,  she 
took  two  prizes  valued  at  ,£14,000  currency,  and  carried 
them  into  St.  Kitts.  The  Stag,  "upon  a  cruise  in  the 
West  Indies,"  on  the  i4th  of  March  of  the  same  year,  took  a 
ship  of  18  guns  and  65  men,  bound  from  Martinico  for 
America,  loaded  with  dry  goods  and  some  produce,  valued 
at  about  ,£12,000. 

The  Vengeance,  Captain  Graham,  took  the  St.  Maria  from 
Campeachy  for  Valencia,  laden  with  logwood,  etc.  On  the 
2 1 st  of  October,  1779,  the  Who's  Afraid,  Captain  Moore, 
in  company  with  the  Benson,  Captain  Ball,  360  tons,  20 
guns,  and  79  men,  belonging  to  Messrs.  Rawlinson  &  Co., 
took  La  Jeanne  Lucy,  from  Martinico  to  Marseilles,  laden 
with  sugar,  coffee,  and  cocoa.  A  month  later  the  Diligence, 
a  prize  to  the  Who's  Afraid,  arrived  in  the  Mersey.  In 
March,  1780,  we  read  of  the  Who's  Afraid,  with  two  more 
prizes,  being  at  Jamaica. 

On  the  24th  of  November,  1779,  the  frigates  Telemachus, 
Captain  Ash,  and  the  Ulysses,  Captain  Briggs,  both  from 
Liverpool,  on  a  cruise,  took  a  Spanish  frigate  of  about  600 
tons  burthen,  called  the  Soladad,  pierced  for  26  guns  upon 
her  main  deck,  and  carrying  170  men.  She  was  bound  from 
the  South  Seas  for  Europe,  and  had  been  three  years  out. 
The  prize  narrowly  escaped  an  American  privateer,  of  30 
guns,  off  Mizen  Head,  as  she  was  making  for  Crookhaven. 

"  The  first  entry  of  licensed  goods  from  England," 
says  the  paper  of  October  i5th,  1779,  "  made  in  the  Isle  of 
Man  after  it  was  annexed  to  the  Crown,  was  made  by  Paul 
Jones,  he  having  imported  the  first  rum  there.  His  name 
stands  first  in  the  Custom  House  books  at  Douglas." 

During  this  critical  part  of  the  war,  when   France  and 


264  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

Spain  united  with  America,  and  presented  a  most  formidable 
coalition  in  arms  against  Great  Britain,  the  Royal  Liverpool 
Blues — named  in  memory  of  the  battalion  raised  in  1745 — 
formed  part  of  the  garrison  of  the  beautiful  island  and  rich 
colony  of  Jamaica,  which  was  in  the  utmost  danger,  until 
Rodney's  great  victory  gave  the  English  forces  complete 
ascendancy  in  the  West  Indies.  The  Liverpool  Blues,  raised 
in  1778,  principally  at  the  expense  of  the  Corporation,  was 
a  regiment  of  the  line,  commanded  by  Lieutenant-General 
Calcraft,  as  Colonel  ;  Major  Pole,  as  Lieutenant-Colonel  ; 
the  Honourable  Thomas  Stanley,  Major  ;  Banastre  Tarleton 
(afterwards  General  Tarleton),  William  Greaves,  Bryan 
Blundell,  Thomas  Dunbar,  Richard  Cribb,  Lieutenant 
Pigot,  and  Lieutenant  Andrew  Despart,  as  Captains  ;  Mr. 
Buckley,  as  Captain-Lieutenant  ;  George  Headlam,  as 
Lieutenant  ;  and  Christopher  Graves,  George  Leigh, 
Thomas  Leigh,  and  James  Smith,  as  ensigns.  These 
subalterns  were  principally  Liverpool  gentlemen.  Theie 
was  a  comic  side  to  the  achievements  of  the  valiant  Blues 
of  '45 — the  march  to  Warrington,  and  the  nocturnal  charge, 
that  would  have  fired  the  soul  of  Don  Quixote,  and  satisfied 
the  stomach  of  Sancho — but  the  brief  story  of  this  line 
regiment  is  one  grim  tragedy.  On  the  25th  of  May,  1778, 
the  Liverpool  Blues  mustered  noo  strong  on  the  sands 
near  Bank  Hall,  where  they  were  reviewed,  and  presented 
with  their  colours.  On  the  4th  of  June,  the  birthday  of 
George  III.,  they  were  reviewed  in  front  of  the  Goree 
warehouses.  On  the  i7th  of  the  same  month,  they  marched 
from  Liverpool  to  Warley  Common,  Essex,  being  ultimately 
sent  to  Jamaica,  where  nearly  the  whole  regiment  succumbed 
to  the  climate.  On  the  Qth  of  February,  1784,  the  poor 
remnant,  reduced  to  84  in  number,  returned  to  Liverpool 
in  the  ship  Ja???es,  belonging  to  Messrs.  James  France  & 
jNephew,  and  deposited  their  colours  in  the  Exchange. 
Thtil5  Liverpool  men,  by  land  as  well  as  by  sea,  freely  gave 


AMERICAN  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE.  265 

themselves  in  defence  of  their  King  and  Country.  On  the 
departure  of  the  Blues,  the  first  division  of  the  Leicestershire 
militia,  commanded  by  the  Marquis  of  Granby,  was  stationed 
in  Liverpool,  hence,  no  doubt,  the  connection  of  the  future 
Duke  of  Rutland  with  privateering.  A  little  later,  a  regi- 
ment of  Yorkshire  militia,  commanded  by  Sir  George 
Saville,  did  duty  in  the  town.  At  the  close  of  1779,  Sir 
George  gave  ^"50  to  the  infirmary,  ^50  to  the  dispensary, 
and  ^50  for  the  relief  of  the  French  and  American  prisoners. 
An  appeal  for  subscriptions  in  aid  of  the  latter  object  con- 
cluded with  these  modest  words:  "and  as  the  town  of 
Liverpool  is  already  the  terror  of  our  foes,  they  will,  by 
this  means  (at  the  time  that  they  acknowledge  our  spirit  and 
bravery)  be  obliged  to  reverence  our  virtue  and  humanity." 
On  the  22nd  of  January,  1780,  the  Lively,  Captain  Watts, 
sailed  from  London  for  Liverpool,  and,  two  days  after  leav- 
ing the  Downs,  they  fell  in  with  the  Black  Prince  (called  an 
Irish  pirate  vessel),  to  whom  they  were  forced  to  strike.  The 
sea  at  that  time  ran  so  high  that  the  enemy  could  not  board 
the  Lively,  but  ordered  them  to  follow,  which  they  did,  till 
night  coming  on,  and  the  gale  continuing,  they  got  away 
from  her.  Two  days  after  separating,  the  Lively  had  the 
misfortune  to  fall  in  with  the  Monsieur,  a  frigate  of  44  guns, 
who  made  a  capture  of  her,  took  the  captain  and  all  the 
people  overboard,  except  three  boys,  and  put  on  board  a 
French  officer  and  twelve  seamen.  Some  time  after  they 
parted  company  with  the  frigate,  the  Lively  grew  very  leaky, 
so  that  it  was  with  difficulty  she  could  be  kept  up.  On  the 
4th  of  February,  when  all  but  three  of  the  Frenchmen, 
greatly  fatigued  with  working  and  pumping  the  ship,  were 
asleep,  the  three  boys  seized  on  two  cutlasses,  the  only  arms 
on  board,  and  recaptured  the  ship,  "and"  says  the  paper 
"preserved  the  power  they  had  taken  with  amazing  reso- 
lution." The  day  following  they  arrived  off  Kinsale,  and 
making  a  signal  of  distress,  were  conducted  into  port  by 


266  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

two  pilot  boats,  where  Captain  M'Arthur,  in  the  Hercules 
(Letter  of  Marque),  took  possession  of  her,  "after  beating 
off  the  savages  of  our  own  realm,  who  came  in  shoals  to 
plunder.  More  than  50  of  those  unprincipled  villains, 
taking  advantage  of  the  signal  of  distress,  had  actually  got 
on  board,  and  had  already  begun  the  shameful  business 
which  so  repeatedly  practised  fixes  an  eternal  stigma  on  the 
coast  which  shelters  such  abandoned  miscreants." 

On  the  i6th  of  January,  1780,  the  Antigallican  privateer, 
Captain  Butler,  of  Liverpool,  in  company  with  the  Alert,  of 
London,  took  the  snow  Diana,  from  Philadelphia  to 
Bordeaux,  laden  with  tobacco,  logwood,  staves,  etc.,  valued 
at  ,£12,000.  Both  privateers  then  chased  a  large  ship  of 
30  guns,  laden  with  600  hogsheads  of  tobacco,  etc.,  which 
had  parted  company  with  the  snow  only  five  hours  before 
she  was  taken.  The  Antigallican  mounted  20  eigh teen- 
pounders  and  2  long  sixes,  and  had  120  men.  The  Alert 
carried  12  eighteen-pounders,  4  long  nines,  and  70  men. 
It  is  not  clear  whether  this  was  the  Antigallican  privateer, 
which  sailed  from  Shields  on  the  I3th  of  March,  1779,  ''on 
a  six  months'  cruize  against  the  enemies  of  Great  Britain, 
completely  fitted  and  manned,"  and  was  "universally 
allowed  by  every  competent  judge  to  be  the  finest  ship  for 
that  purpose  yet  fitted  out  from  England." 

In  February,  1780,  the  Sparling,  Captain  Jackson,  on  her 
passage  to  New  York  was  taken  by  the  Thorn  sloop-of-war, 
22  guns  and  150  men,  after  an  engagement  of  nearly  an 
hour,  in  which  Captain  Jackson,  the  first  and  second  lieu- 
tenants, and  seven  men  were  wounded,  and  three  killed. 
The  Sparling  was  carried  into  Boston. 

Early  in  1780,  the  Hero,  Captain  Wilcox,  bound  for 
Guinea,  was  taken  by  the  French,  and  retaken  within 
a  league  of  Cherbourg  by  his  Majesty's  ship  Champion. 
On  the  ist  of  May,  the  Hero  was  again  taken,  16  leagues 
south  of  Cork,  by  a  French  privateer,  and  again  retaken 


AMERICAN  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE.  267 

from  the  enemy.  Once  more  the  Hero  essayed  to  reach 
Africa,  only  to  fall  a  prey  to  the  combined  fleets  of  France 
and  Spain,  who  sent  her  to  Cadiz. 

The  Bridget,  Captain  Gil  body,  on  the  voyage  from  St. 
Kitts  to  Liverpool,  re-captured  the  Brothers,  Captain 
Hasseldine,  which  was  proceeding  to  France  in  charge  of  a 
prize  crew.  In  the  summer  of  1781,  Captain  Hasseldine 
was  again  taken  within  one  day's  sail  of  New  York,  and 
carried  into  Providence. 

On  the  8th  of  February,  1780,  the  Pallas,  16  six-pounders, 
Captain  Townsend,  took  the  La  Anna,  from  Bordeaux  to 
St.  Domingo,  laden  with  642  barrels  of  flour,  180  barrels  of 
beef,  216  barrels  of  pork,  two  pipes  and  30  casks  of  oil,  141 
barrels  and  cases  of  wine,  55  cases  of  brandy,  besides  large 
quantities  of  butter,  salt,  pease,  prunes,  soap,  hoops,  medi- 
cines, and  women's  shoes.  On  the  loth  of  March,  the  Pallas 
brought  into  the  Mersey,  the  ship  La  Victoire,  of  16  six  and 
nine-pounders,  and  100  men,  laden  with  naval  stores,  cap- 
tured off  Cape  Finisterre,  as  she  was  making  for  Corunna. 
This  prize  had  previously  been  taken  by  one  of  Admiral 
Digby's  fleet,  but  the  French  prisoners  had  put  the  prize 
crew  in  irons  and  retaken  the  ship,  about  thirty  hours  before 
Captain  Townsend  fell  in  with  her.  The  ship  La  Vulture, 
from  L'Orient  for  Maryland,  another  prize  taken  by  the 
Pallas,  was  totally  lost  on  the  coast  of  Ireland,  and  several 
of  the  crew  drowned.  In  May,  the  Pallas  sent  into  Liver- 
pool a  Spanish  schooner,  laden  with  iron,  oil,  brass  and 
steel  ware,  etc.,  captured  off  Bilbao.  A  few  weeks  later,  the 
Pallas  was  taken  by  the  L'Aimable,  frigate,  and  carried  into 
Rochefort.  "Tuesday,"  says  the  paper  of  May  :8th,  ''was 
married  Captain  Holland,  in  the  African  trade,  to  Miss 
Townsend,  sister  to  the  brave  Captain  Townsend,*  of  the 
Pallas." 

*  Commenting  on  the  superiority  of  the  n^w  prepared  cartridges  over  the  old 
fashioned  or  common  sort,  the  paper  of  December  i/th,  1779,  relates  the  following 


268  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS, 

At  the  Annual  Board  of  the  Infirmary,  on  March  6th, 
1780,  thanks  were  voted  to  the  late  President,  Nicholas 
Blundell,  Esq.,  for  a  benefaction  of  forty  guineas,  and  to 
the  owners  of  the  Enterprise,  Terrible,  St.  George,  and 
Dragon  privatesrs,  who  had  sent  benefactions  towards  the 
support  of  the  charity. 

The  William,  Captain  Wignall  (a  Letter  of  Marque), 
cruising  on  her  passage  from  New  York  for  Liverpool, 
captured  a  schooner  laden  with  lumber,  which  she  sent  to 
Liverpool.  On  the  8th  of  February,  1780,  the  William  fell 
in  with  a  French  cutter,  of  18  nine-pounders,  20  swivels,  and 
full  of  men,  from  Havre-de-Grace,  on  a  cruise,  with  which 
she  had  a  stout  engagement  of  an  hour,  but  by  the  gallant 
behaviour  of  the  officers  and  men  of  the  William,  the  cutter 
was  obliged  to  sheer  off  with  much  damage.  Captain 
Wignall  had  one  man  killed,  seven  wounded,  and  two 
blown  up  by  a  cartridge  taking  fire.  The  loss  of  the  cutter 
was  believed  to  be  greater. 

On  the  4th  of  March,  1780,  there  entered  the  river  Mersey, 
under  peculiar  circumstances,  a  vessel  appropriately  named 
the  Happy  Return.  She  was  a  cartel  ship,  commanded  by 
Captain  Webb,  bound  from  L'Orient  to  Plymouth,  with 
300  prisoners  of  war,  to  be  exchanged.  These  men  had  taken 
possession  of  the  vessel  during  the  passage,  and  brought 
her  into  Liverpool,  in  hope  of  escaping  the  press.  Among 
them  were  the  crew  of  the  Bess,  Captain  Walker,  which  had 
been  taken  by  the  Monsieur,  three  days  after  she  sailed  from 
Liverpool  for  Tobago. 

In  March,  1780,  two  additional  frigates  "and  two  cutters 
were  stationed  in  the  Irish  Channel,  in  consequence  of  a 


incident: — "In  a  smart  engagement  with  an  American  privateer,  in  which  Capt. 
Townsend,  of  this  place,  lost  his  leg,  in  the  heat  of  action  to  save  time,  a  brave, 
high-spirited  boy  dared  to  endeavour  to  load  one  of  the  guns  on  the  outside  of  the 
vessel,  though  the  privateer  was  alongside,  but  when  putting  the  cartridge  down 
with  his  arm  into  the  gun  just  discharged,  the  burning  paper  left  behind,  set  fire 
to  the  new  one,  and  blew  the  bold  fellow  into  the  sea,  where  he  was  drowned." 


AMERICAN  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE.  269 

petition  of  the  Liverpool  Merchants,  in  which  they  stated 
that  the  force  previously  on  the  station  was  insufficient  for 
the  protection  of  trade. 

On  Friday,  March  iyth,  1780,  between  ten  and  eleven 
o'clock  at  night,  the  press-gang  assembled  before  the  house 
of  James  Richards,  in  Hackins-hey,  where  a  number  of 
sailors  had  resorted  to  protect  themselves  from  impress- 
ment ;  and  upon  Richards  refusing  to  open  the  door  a 
general  firing  ensued,  which  continued  about  half  an  hour. 
In  the  affray,  Richards  received  two  dangerous  wounds  in 
the  face.  A  soldier,  who  happened  to  be  in  the  house,  was 
shot  through  the  body  and  died  next  morning. 

The  Modeste,  Captain  Bewsher,  in  her  passage  from 
Liverpool  to  New  York,  took  a  prize  with  tobacco,  lumber, 
etc.,  and  sent  her  for  the  Bermudas  ;  and  on  her  passage 
from  New  York  to  Jamaica  she  captured  a  sloop  and  a 
schooner. 

Occasionally  we  discover  an  element  of  comedy  amongst 
the  sanguinary  records  of  the  sea  at  this  period,  as  in  the 
following  experience  of  the  dignified  Captain  Gurley  and 
the  irreverent  rover,  as  reported  in  the  paper  :— 

"  On  Friday  morning,  April  i4th,  the  Hussar  wherry, 
Capt.  Gurley,  a  revenue  cruizer  under  the  inspection  of  Charles 
Lutwidge,  Esq.,  of  Whitehaven,  sailed  on  a  cruize,  but 
returned  ingloriously  to  port  in  the  evening,  having  met  with  a 
large  buccaneering  cutter,  mounting  18  carronades,  twelve  and 
eighteen-pounders,  off  the  Abbey  Head,  about  four  miles  distant 
from  Kirkcudbright.  The  cutter  fired  several  guns  into  the 
Hussar,  shot  away  her  colours  and  the  main  haulyards  ;  made 
several  holes  in  her  mainsail  and  foresail,  and  lodged  several 
shot  in  one  of  her  masts  and  in  the  hull.  Captain  Gurley  had 
a  part  of  his  hat  and  wig  taken  off  by  a  ball,  and  one  of  the 
men  was  also  in  the  same  perilous  situation,  but  happily 
neither  of  them  received  much  bodily  injury.  The  lawless 
rover  was  very  near  them,  and  had  the  insolence  to  call  out 


270  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

and    order  them    to   go    home,    which    they   were  under   the 
necessity  of  complying-  with,    being-  much  inferior  in  strength. 
The  cutter  had  an  English  ensign  flying." 
In  May,  the   Tonyn,    Captain   Wade,    took  a  prize  which 
sold  for  ^"1,300  ;    and    the    Ceres,    Captain    Cook,    on   her 
passage  from   Liverpool   to  Archangel,    took  an  American 
.ship  called  the  Governor  Johnson,  from  Bergen  to  Baltimore, 
with  salt  and  sail  canvas. 

Instances  of  cowardice  in  face  of  the  enemy  were  happily 

rarer  in  the  armed  mercantile  marine  of  Liverpool  than  in 

the  Royal  Navy  itself.      In  the  following  interesting  letter 

from  Captain  William  Garnett,  of  the  Vengeance  privateer, 

to   the   owners,    Messrs.    Jonas    Bold    &    Co.,   dated    Port 

L'Orient,  June  iQth,    1780,  we  find  a  serious  and  unusual 

charge  of  poltroonery  brought  against  two  of  his  officers  : — 

"GENTLEMEN:  I   take  this  opportunity  to  inform  you  that 

on  the  1 3th  inst. ,  fell  in  with  two  large  ships,  which  we  took  to 

be  loaded,  and  chaced  them  under  Belleisle.     As  one  of  them 

got  under  the  battery,  we  bore  down  on  the  other,  which  we 

soon  brought  to  action,  in  doing  which,  we  began  to  suspect 

we  had  got  into  a  very  disagreeable  situation,  but  were  too 

far  advanced  to  retreat,  therefore  kept  down  upon  her,  and 

received  three  broadsides  without  any  great  damage,  reserving 

our  fire  until  we  found  it  absolutely  necessary  to  engage,  as 

we  were  to  prevent  the  other  ship  if  possible  from  raking  us, 

she  having  bore  away  for  that  purpose.     Thus  after  two  hours 

contention  with  the  Magician,  of  36  guns  and  300  men,  and 

the  Elourdie,  of  24  guns  and   180  men  (both  King's  frigates), 

was  obliged  to  surrender,  on  a  false  alarm  of  our  magazine 

being  on  fire,  our  ship  having  from  four  to  five  feet  water  in  the 

hold,  her  fore-topsail-yard  hanging  in  two  pieces,  her  foremast 

wounded,    and    in    short    her    hull,    rigging    and    sails    much 

shattered  ;  and  was   very  much   surprised  from  the  situation 

we  were  in  when  we  struck,  that  we  had  but  one  man  killed  and 

fourteen  wounded,  all  but  two  or  three  of  which  were  slightly  so. 

It  is  impossible  for  me  to  do  justice  to  our  people's  behaviour  ; 


AMERICAN  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE.  271 

some  of  whom,  when  we  had  struck,  lay  down  by  their  guns, 
and  shed  tears  for  downright  vexation.  We  have  lost  all  but 
what  we  had  on  us,  otherwise  we  were  tolerably  well  treated 
while  on  board,  which  was  till  this  morning,  when  they  landed 
us  at  this  place,  from  whence  we  are  to  set  out  on  the  2Oth  to 
travel  to  St.  Malo,  in  order  to  be  exchanged,  and  have  for 
company  the  Alert's  crew,  and  the  crew  of  a  Jersey  privateer, 
all  taken  this  week.  We  had  but  two  persons  whose  behav- 
iour during  the  action,  I  am  sorry  to  say,  was  exceptionable." 

On    the    2ist   of  June,    the    Captain    wrote   again,  from 
Portevin  : — 

•'  I  wrote  you  the  igth,  advising  you  in  a  particular  manner 
of  our  being  taken  on  the  i3th  inst.,  after  an  action  of  two 
hours  with  a  frigate  of  36  guns  and  300  men,  and  one  of  24 
guns  and  180  men,  in  which  we  had  one  man  killed  and 
fourteen  wounded,  and  our  vessel  shattered  to  pieces.  Our 
people  behaved  in  a  very  brave  manner,  and  had  several 
encomiums  paid  them  by  the  Captain  of  the  large  frigate, 
whom  we  struck  to,  particularly  Mr.  Given  and  Mr.  Walker, 
two  better  or  braver  officers  never  went  on  board  a  ship  ;  the 
latter  of  whom,  after  being  knocked  down  twice  with  splinters, 
and  his  right  arm  broke,  still  kept  encouraging  the  men.  The 
conduct  of  two  of  our  officers  during  the  action  was  highly 
exceptionable  ;  there  is  no  knowing  a  man  until  he  is  tried.  I 
have  not  spoke  to  either  of  them  since,  which  conduct  I  shall 
observe.  I  have  all  the  other  officers  along  with  me  ;  and  as 
they  are  brave  fellows,  think  they  have  a  right  to  every  assist- 
ance in  my  power  to  afford  them.  We  are  now  forty  miles  on 
our  way  to  Dinan,  and  hope  we  shall  not  be  long  detained.  I 
write  you  from  hence  in  preference  to  any  other  place,  having 

met  with  a  Monsieur ,  who,  to  offering  me  any  money  I 

should  want,  takes  the  trouble  of  having  this  conveyed  to  you 
in  the  most  expeditious  manner.  We  were  very  well  treated 
on  board  the  frigate,  our  wounded  in  particular  with  the 
greatest  care  and  humanity.  We  have  left  six  wounded  in  the 
hospital  at  L'Orient,  where  they  are  taken  the  greatest  care  of, 


272  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS 

are  all  in  high  spirits,  and  have  every  good  symptom.  The  rest 
are  along  with  me,  Mr.  Given  and  Mr.  Walker  in  particular, 
who  reckon  nothing  of  walking  twenty  miles  per  day." 

The  Albion,  Captain  Hutchinson,  from  Liverpool  to 
Archangel,  was  taken  on  the  8th  of  June,  1780,  by  three 
American  Letters  of  Marque,  bound  to  Amsterdam,  with 
tobacco  ;  the  General  Washington,  of  18  six-pounders  and  73 
men,  with  160  hogsheads  ;  the  brig  Alexander,  of  12  four- 
pounders  and  50  men,  with  no  hogsheads;  and  the  brig 
Maryland,  of  10  four-pounders  and  50  men,  with  120  hogs- 
heads. They  also  took  the  Speed-well,  from  Peterhead  to 
Norway,  with  oatmeal,  and  gave  her  to  Captain  Hutchinson 
to  carry  the  prisoners  to  Inverness,  where  they  landed  on 
June  1 5th.  Captain  Hutchinson  reported  that  the  ship 
Ashton  and  three  brigs,  which  sailed  with  her  from  Liverpool, 
had  been  taken  by  American  privateers.  The  Albion  was 
sent  to  Boston.  Some  of  the  privateers  were  very  unlucky. 
On  the  loth  of  June,  1780,  the  Alert  privateer,  Captain 
Chapman,  was  taken  by  the  Venus,  French  frigate  of  40  guns, 
and  carried  into  L'Orient.  The  Alert  had  sailed  from 
Whitehaven  in  March,  1779,  and  returned  to  Liverpool  in 
the  following  July,  without  taking  anything.  Captain 
Chapman  died  about  September,  1780,  imprisonment  and 
disappointment  probably  hastening  his  end. 

In  February,  1780.  the  Sally,  Captain  Denny,  on  her 
passage  to  Barbadoes,  took  a  Spanish  brig  from  the  Grand 
Canaries,  loaded  with  sugar,  barley,  and  household  furniture. 

The  Watt  (Letter  of  Marque),  Captain  Coulthard,  on  her 
passage  from  Liverpool  to  New  York,  took  two  prizes  ;  one 
called  the  Nancy,  from  Virginia  to  Nantz,  laden  with  103 
hogsheads  of  James  River  tobacco  ;  and  the  other,  the  brig 
Le  Pegase,  of  16  guns,  bound  from  Bordeaux  to  St. 
Domingo,  laden  with  provisions.  The  best  contested  battle 
fought  by  any  of  the  British  privateers  during  this  war  was 
undoubtedly  that  fought  by  the  Watt,  and  the  American  ship 


AMERICAN  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE.  273 

Trumbullj  Captain  Nicholson.  The  following  account  of 
the  engagement  appeared  in  the  New  York  paper  of  June 
1 6th,  1780  : — 

"  Monday  arrived  the  Letter  of  Marque  ship  Watt,  Captain 
Coulthard,  in  twelve  weeks  from  Liverpool.  On  the  ist 
instant,  in  lat.  35.  54  long.  66.  she  fell  in  with  and  engaged  a 
rebel  frigate  of  36  guns,  i2-pounders,  for  upwards  of  seven 
glasses.  The  rebel  ship  was  crowded  with  men,  and  fought 
19  guns  on  a  side.  The  Watt  mounts  32  twelve  and  six- 
pounders,  some  of  them  carronades,  and  had  only  164  men  on 
board,  eleven  of  whom  were  killed,  and  several  wounded.  The 
action  was  obstinate  and  bloody,  and  the  carnage  on  board  the 
rebel  frigate  amazing,  as  the  vessels  were  a  considerable  time 
yardarm  and  yardarm,  and  the  Watt,  by  the  superior  skill  of  her 
officers,  and  the  alertness  of  her  crew,  had  the  opportunity  of 
twice  raking  her  antagonist  fore  and  aft,  which  made  her  a 
perfect  slaughter  house.  Her  stern  was  drove  in  almost  down 
to  the  water,  many  of  her  guns  dismounted,  hundreds  of  shot 
through  her  sides,  her  foreyard  and  topmast  shot  away,  and 
all  her  sails  and  rigging  greatly  damaged.  She  at  last  put 
before  the  wind,  and  run  from  the  Watt,  which  chased  her 
eight  hours  ;  but  having  a  cargo  on  board,  and  her  masts  so 
damaged  that  she  could  not  venture  to  carry  a  great  press  of 
sail,  she  lost  sight  of  the  chace  on  the  2nd  inst.  The  Watt  has 
a  great  number  of  shot  holes  through  her  sides  and  sails,  four 
of  them  through  her  powder  magazine.  She  has  certainly 
fought  a  more  glorious  battle  than  any  private  ship  of  war 
since  the  commencement  of  hostilities.  The  most  exalted 
encomiums  are  inadequate  to  the  merit  of  the  brave  Captain 
Coulthard.  The  determined  courage  he  exhibited  during  the 
action,  and  the  cool,  deliberate  manner  in  which  he  issued  his 
orders,  does  him  the  highest  honour  ;  nor  ought  the  approved 
behaviour  of  his  gallant  officers  and  crew  remain  unnoticed  ; 
they  richly  merit,  and  will  certainly  receive  applause  from  every 
man  who  has  the  glory  of  his  country  at  heart."  A  later  issue 
supplied  the  following  particulars  : — • 


274  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

"  By  a  flag  of  truce  arrived  last  night  from  the  Eastward, 
we  are  informed  that  the  Lieutenant  of  the  Trumbull  Rebel 
frigate,  had  with  much  difficulty  got  the  ship  into  New  London, 
after  being  torn  down  to  a  mere  wreck  in  an  engagement  on 
the  first  instant,  with  the  Letter  of  Marque  ship  Watt,  of  Liver- 
pool, commanded  by  the  truly  invincible  Capt.  Coulthard.  We 
have  as  yet  only  been  able  to  learn  that  Capt.  James  Nicholson, 
the  Trumbull's  commander,  was  killed  at  the  first  broadside 
received  from  the  Watt,  and  that  there  were  fifty-seven  men 
killed  on  board  the  Trumbull ;  the  number  of  wounded  has  not 
yet  been  declared.  Our  last  Gazette  gave  the  particulars  of 
the  glorious  behaviour  of  Capt.  Coulthard  and  his  Crew  of 
HEROES." 

In  connection  with  this  sanguinary  drawn  battle,  after 
which  both  vessels  were  nearly  sinking  when  they  got  back 
into  port,  the  following  appeal  appeared  in  Williamson's 
Advertiser,  of  August  3rd  : — 

"To  the  Humane  Inhabitants  of  Liverpool,  and  others. 
"  Phebe  Rigby,  widow  of  Nicholas  Rigby,  late  a  mariner, 
on  board  the  Watt,  commanded  by  the  truly  magnanimous 
Captain  Coulthard,  claims  your  attention  to  her  present  dis- 
tressed condition,  having  lost  her  husband  in  that  memorable 
engagement  with  an  American  frigate  of  36  guns,  wherein  the 
Watt  had  thirteen  men  killed  and  seventy-five  wounded,  and 
the  loss  of  the  American  was  considerably  more  (an  engagement 
which  does  very  great  honour  to  the  intrepid  Captain  Coulthard, 
and  casts  an  additional  splendor  on  the  British  flag).  This 
destitute  widow  thus  deprived  of  her  husband  (who  was  the 
chief  support  of  her  and  two  helpless  children,  and  an  expert 
and  courageous  sailor)  is  really  a  deserving  object  of  charity, 
and  claims  that  kind  and  liberal  attention  of  the  humane  and 
generous,  which  ever  distinguishes  Britons  from  other  nations, 
and  which  extends  its  munificent  hand  to  all  ranks  of  deserving 
objects,  but  more  especially  to  those  who  have  sustained  the 
irreparable  loss  of  an  industrious  husband  and  affectionate 
parent,  and  that,  too,  in  fighting  for  his  country. 


AMERICAN  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE.  275 

"  By  applying  to  Mr.  Tate,  hair-dresser,  in  Church  Street,  the 
public  may  be  assured  of  the  reality  of  this  case;    and  con- 
tributions  for  the  widow  may  be  left  with  him,   or  at   Mrs. 
Williamson's  and  Mr.  Gore's,  printers,  in  Liverpool. 
"Descend,  sweet  Charity,  celestial  maid, 
And  to  the  widow  lend  thy  fav'ring  aid. 
Whose  valiant  husband,  under  Coulthard's  sway 
(Coulthard,  the  dauntless  hero  of  the  sea) 
Asserting-  Britain's  glory,  lost  his  life, 
And  left  two  helpless  children  and  a  wife. 
Celestial  Charity,  thy  hand  extend, 
Be  now  the  widow  and  poor  orphans'  friend." 
In  the  Liverpool  paper  of  July  6th,  1780,  appeared  the 
following  paragraph  :— 

"The  Ellen,  Borrowdale,  arrived  at  Antigua  in  May  with 
a  Spanish  sloop  of  war  called  the  Si.  Ann  Gracia,  Don  John 
Morallas,  commander,  mounting-  16  g-uns,  and  full  of  small 
arms,  bound  from  the  island  of  St.  Thomas  to  Cadiz,  which 
he  took  on  the  26th  of  April,  in  lat.  30.  30  N.  long-.  37.  38  W. 
after  an  engagement  of  three  hours.  The  Spaniard  had  eleven 
men  killed  and  two  wounded." 

Such  is  the  bare  record  of  a  notable  engagement  which 
has  been  selected  by  Professor  Laughton  as  worthy  of  a 
place  in  his  "Naval  Studies,"  and,  which  we  venture  to 
quote  here  :— 

"  The  Ellen,  which  mounted  18  light  six-pounders,  and  had 
on  board  64  men,  all  told,  of  whom  many,  including  a  Captain 
Blundell  of  the  7gth  regiment,  were  passengers,  was  making  a 
passage  to  the  West  Indies,  under  orders  of  urgent  haste.  Her 
small  complement  shows  that  she  had  no  aggressive  intentions ; 
but,  when  overhauled  by  the  Spaniard,  she  prepared  to  defend 
herself.  She  shortened  sail,  and,  to  prevent  the  enemy  opening 
fire  at  long  range,  and  thus  getting  the  advantage  of  a  pre- 
sumably heavier  armament,  hoisted  American  colours.  At  the 
same  time,  her  guns  were  double-loaded  with  round  shot  and 
grape;  and  Borrowdale,  encouraging  his  men,  'recommended 


276  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

to  them  a  cool  and  determined  courage,  entreated  them  to  fire 
quick,  to  take  good  aim,  and  to  fight  the   ship  to  the  last 
extremity.'     We  seem  almost  to  have  before  us  the  old  sea-dog 
described  by  Captain  Marryat  : — 
"The  Captain    stood    on  the  carronade  ;    'First  Lieutenant,' 

says  he, 

'  Send  all  my  merry  men  aft  here,  for  they  must  list  to  me  ; 
I  haven't  the  gift  of  the  gab,  my  sons, — because  I'm  bred  to 

the  sea  ; 

That  ship  there  is  a  Spaniard,  who  means  to  fight  with  we  ; 
That  ship  there  is  a  Spaniard,  and  if  we  dont  take  she, 
'Tis  a  thousand  bullets  to  one,  that  she  will  capture  we.' 

"And  so  as  the  Spaniard  ranged  up  alongside  to  windward, 
he  hauled  down  the  American  colours,  hoisted  the  English,  and 
poured  into  her  his  whole  broadside,  with  a  volley  of  musketry. 
The  astonished  and  entirely  disabled  Spaniard  fell  to  leeward, 
and  received  the  Ellen's  other  broadside,  in  the  same  fashion, 
after  which  she  put  before  the  wind  and  endeavoured  to  make 
off.  But  the  privateer  held  on  to  her  advantage,  and  after 
a  running  fight  of  an  hour  and  a  half  the  Santa  Anna,  a 
commissioned  sloop  of  sixteen  guns  —  heavy  6-pounders  — 
exclusive  of  swivels,  and  104  men,  hauled  down  her  colours, 
and  accompanied  the  Ellen  to  Jamaica." 

In  regard  to  the  quotation  from  Marryat,  Professor 
Laughton  informs  us  that  carronades  were  not  used  in  the 
time  of  William  and  Mary.  They  were  first  ordered  for 
use  in  the  navy  in  1779.  The  Ellen  had  not  any,  but,  in 
1780,  she  might  have  had  if  her  owners  had  chosen.  The 
"  lawless  rover,"  who  attacked  the  Hussar  wherry,  had  18 
carronades  on  board.  On  the  26th  of  June,  1782,  the  Isabella, 
from  the  Isle  of  Bourbon  for  France,  laden  with  cotton, 
coffee,  pepper,  cloves,  etc.,  arrived  in  the  Mersey,  having 
been  captured  by  the  Ellen,  on  her  passage  from  Liverpool 
to  Jamaica.  In  October  of  the  same  year,  the  Ellen  arrived 
at  Hoylake  from  Jamaica,  having  on  board  forty-two  of  the 
ship's  company  of  the  jRamilies,  flagship  of  Rear-Admiral 


AMERICAN  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE.  277 

Graves,  which  had  foundered.  The  Mayor  received  a  letter 
from  the  Admiral  requesting  him  to  convey  to  the  captains 
of  the  merchant  ships  belonging  to  Liverpool,  who  were 
the  preservers  of  the  lives  of  the  Admiral,  officers,  and 
company  of  his  Majesty's  ship  Ramilies,  the  approbation 
of  the  Lord's  Commissioners  of  the  Admiralty,  of  their 
humane  conduct. 

On  the  roth  of  August,  1780,  the  Snapper  privateer, 
Captain  Taylor,  returned  to  Liverpool  from  a  successful 
cruise.  On  the  24th  of  July,  she  met  with  a  fleet  of  seven 
ships,  off  Bordeaux,  under  convoy  of  a  20  gun  ship,  which 
chased  the  Snapper  till  night  came  on,  when  the  Snapper 
altered  her  course,  and  the  next  morning  fell  in  with  the 
seven  sail,  four  of  which  she  captured,  and  run  the  three 
others  on  shore.  The  four  prizes  consisted  of  a  snow  from 
Bayonne,  laden  with  bombs,  mortars,  and  oak  plank ;  a  sloop 
from  St.  Sebastian,  with  iron  and  iron  hoops;  a  brig  from 
Bayonne  to  Rochefort,  with  anchors,  hemp,  and  canvas; 
and  another  brig  from  the  same  place  to  St.  Malo,  with 
pitch,  tar,  and  oak  plank.  In  December,  the  Ann,  with  fish 
and  oil,  and  La  Santa  Louisa,  both  prizes  to  the  Snapper, 
arrived  in  Liverpool. 

Early  in  the  year,  the  Tartar  cutter,  Captain  Why  tell, 
took  a  French  snow  bound  from  Guadaloupe  to  America, 
with  a  cargo  of  sugar,  and  carried  her  into  St.  Kitts.  On 
the  22nd  of  August,  the  Tartar  arrived  in  Liverpool  from  a 
cruise,  and  brought  in  with  her  a  prize  called  the  St.  George, 
laden  with  flax,  iron,  etc.  In  September,  the  Tartar  had  a 
smart  engagement  with  a  French  cutter  privateer  of  16  guns, 
which  resulted  in  the  Frenchman  accompanying  the  Tartar 
into  Penzance.  After  taking  another  prize,  a  Dutch  vessel, 
from  Ostend  to  Bordeaux,  with  420  hogsheads  of  tobacco, 
the  Tartar  had  the  ill-luck  of  being  herself  captured  by  two 
French  frigates,  oneof  which  was  commanded  by  "Monsieur 
Le  Viscount  Mortimer." 


278  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVA  TEERS. 

In  the  summer  of  1780,  the  Black  Princess,  and  other 
French  privateers,  were  very  active  in  the  Channel,  picking 
up,  at  a  small  risk,  a  large  number  of  vessels,  many  of 
which  they  ransomed  for  sums  ranging  from  100  guineas  to 
;£6,ooo.  One  Sunday  in  July,  the  John,  of  Newcastle, 
Captain  Rawson,  fell  in  with  the  Black  Princess,  off  the 
Mull  of  Galloway,  and  was  obliged  to  strike,  after  having 
one  man  killed  and  the  captain  and  second  mate  wounded. 
He  was  ransomed  for  ^"1,000,  "  to  which,"  says  the  paper 
of  July  2Oth,  "  he  was  compelled,  at  the  hazard  of  his  life  and 
the  lives  of  his  crew.  The  inhuman  villain  who  com- 
mands the  Black  Princess  would  not  permit  his  surgeon  to 
dress  the  wounded,  and  on  Captain  Rawson  hesitating  to 
ransom  for  so  large  a  sum,  was  preparing  to  burn  the  ship, 
and,  horrid  to  relate,  the  people  also."  The  "inhuman 
villain  "  in  this  case  happened  to  be  an  Irishman  named 
Edward  Macartney,  who  had  lived  twelve  years  in  France. 
In  1781,  we  find  him,  together  with  his  second  captain,  and 
first  and  second  lieutenants,  enjoying  the  hospitality  of  the 
British  Government  in  Mill  Prison,  Plymouth. 

The  first  cigars  introduced  into  Liverpool  are  said  to 
have  been  brought  in  some  French  prizes,  from  the  Island 
of  St.  Domingo,  taken  during  this  war. 

In  July,  1780,  the  Porcupine,  a  private  ship  of  war,  of 
Liverpool,  John  Walker,  commander,  in  company  with  the 
Tartar  cutter,  of  Folkestone,  took  the  ship  Elizabeth,  from 
Bordeaux  to  Bilbao,  with  a  cargo  of  sugar,  chocolate, 
indigo,  wine,  etc.,  and  sent  her  to  Falmouth.  The  Eagle, 
Captain  Ashton,  on  a  cruise,  took  two  prizes;  and  the 
Peggy,  Captain  Leigh,  captured  three  prizes  in  the  West 
Indies. 

"Jenny"  was  a  favourite  name  for  Liverpool  vessels,  there 
beingat  this  period  about  half-a-dozen  "Jennys"  sailing  from 
the  port.  The /<?««>',  Captain  Gill,  and  \\\Q  Jenny,  Captain 
Walker,  had  a  smart  engagement  for  upwards  of  five  hours 


AMERICAN  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE.  279 

with  an  American  frigate  of  28  guns,  off  the  Banks  of  New- 
foundland. They  shot  away  the  frigate's  main-mast,  and 
otherwise  damaged  her  so  much,  that  she  made  the  best  of 
her  way  from  them.  The  Jenny,  Walker,  had  four  men 
killed,  and  one  wounded  ;  the  Jenny,  Gill,  had  two  men 
killed.  The  armament  of  these  two  vessels  is  described 
in  the  following  advertisement,  which  appeared  in  the  paper 
of  December  28th,  1780: — * 

"The  ship,  Jenny,  a  Letter  of  Marque,  Thomas  Walker, 
commander,  is  now  fitting-  out  to  cruize  for  four  months  against 
the  combined  enemies  of  Great  Britain,  and  will  proceed  to  her 
station  as  soon  as  possible  in  order  to  intercept  some  valuable 
Dutchmen,  that  are  soon  expected  to  arrive  from  the  East  and 
West  Indies. 

The  Jenny  carries  14  guns,  six-pounders,  swivels,  and  small 
arms,  is  copper  bottomed,  and  has  every  convenience  for  the 
comfort  and  accommodation  of  her  crew,  being-  about  5  feet  6 
inches  between  decks. 

Captain  Walker  invites  all  brave  seamen  and  landmen  that 
are  willing  to  try  their  fortune  in  the  Jenny,  to  apply  to  him 
immediately,  at  his  house,  No.  13,  in  Paradise-St.,  or  to  Daniel 
Backhouse,  who  wants  a  few  good  seamen  and  landmen  for  the 
brig  Jenny,  Capt.  Wm.  Gill,  now  in  the  river,  and  will  sail  on 
Saturday  or  Sunday  next  for  St.  Kitts,  and  from  thence  upon  a 
cruize.  She  is  copper  bottomed,  sails  like  the  wind,  and  carries 
16  guns,  six-pounders." 

The  Jenny,  Gill,  took  the  F.  Coleux,  of  Boston,  with  wine, 
flour,  etc.,  which  arrived  in  the  Mersey  in  January,  1782. 

In  1780,  the  Mars,  Captain  John  Forsyth,  a  slave  ship 
belonging  to  Messrs.  Wm.  Earle  &  Sons,  on  her  passage 
to  Africa,  took  a  Dutch  snow  laden  with  French  brandy, 
wine,  and  corkwood.  In  January,  1782,  we  read  that  the 
Mars  was  herself  taken  on  her  passage  from  St.  Kitts  to 

*  In  the  same  issue  of  the  paper,  an  advertisement  appears,  offering  a  reward  of 
£20,  in  addition  to  the  King's  reward  of  ^40,  for  the  apprehension  of  the  highway- 
men who  infested  the  roads  in  and  near  the  town. 


280  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

Liverpool,  and  carried  into  Boston.  She  was  retaken  and 
carried  to  Jamaica. 

The  Emperor,  Captain  Wm.  Wilson,  owned  by  Mr.  John 
Galley,  took  the  brig  Jupiter,  from  Newberry,  with  tobacco, 
staves,  etc. ;  also  the  brig  privateer  L!  Impromptu,  of  14  guns. 
In  1781,  the  Emperor,  and  the  Telemachus,  Captain  Sher- 
wood, on  their  passage  to  Jamaica  took  a  brig  from  Salem, 
laden  with  lumber,  etc. 

"By  an  Act  passed  this  Session,"  says  the  paper  of  May 
25th,  1780,  "merchant  ships  are  allowed  to  have  three- 
fourths  of  their  crew  foreigners ;  and  all  foreigners  who  shall 
have  formerly  served,  or  shall  hereafter  serve,  two  years  on 
board  any  of  his  Majesty's  ships,  or  any  privateer,  or 
merchant  ship,  being  British  property,  shall  be  deemed  a 
natural  born  subject  of  Great  Britain,  and  enjoy  all  privileges 
and  immunities  thereto  belonging." 

On  the  5th  of  June,  1780,  the  Vengeance,  Hypocrite,  and 
Surprise,  three  Liverpool  privateers,  captured  off  Belleisle, 
the  Dauphine  snow,  from  L'Orient  to  the  Isle  of  France, 
with  wine,  brandy,  flour,  cordage,  etc.,  on  the  French  king's 
account.  A  month  later,  the  Hypocrite,  Captain  Beynon, 
returned  from  a  cruise,  and  brought  into  the  Mersey  a 
Genoese  snow,  from  St.  Andero  to  Cadiz,  with  250  tons  of 
wheat.  In  August,  another  prize  laden  with  wheat,  taken 
by  the  Hypocrite,  arrived  in  Liverpool;  and  early  in  the 
following  year,  Captain  Beynon,  in  his  passage  to  St.  Kitts, 
took  a  valuable  schooner,  bound  from  St.  Eustatia  to  Mari- 
galante.  While  cruising  in  the  West  Indies,  the  Hyprocritc 
was  taken  by  a  French  privateer,  after  a  severe  engagement, 
in  which  Captain  Beynon  was  killed. 

In  November,  1780,  the  Hawke,  Captain  Smale,  took  La 
Jeune  Emilie,  from  Rochefort  to  Martinico,  laden  with  wine, 
brandy,  etc. 

The  paper  of  October  26th,  1780,  stated  that  in  the 
action  at  Camden,  Lieut.-Colonel  Tarleton  had  killed  nine 


AMERICAN  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE.  281 

Americans  with  his  own  hand.  Though  this  may  have 
been  an  exaggeration,  the  Liverpool  hero  certainly  covered 
himself  with  glory  during  the  war,  and  the  fame  so  won, 
together  with  the  dexterous  display  of  a  maimed  hand,  was 
of  immense  value  to  him  in  later  years  for  electioneering 
purposes. 

An  idea  of  the  unsightly,  narrow,  and  mean  appearance 
of  Liverpool  streets  and  alleys  at  this  period  may  be 
gathered  from  the  following  account,  extracted  from  the 
Journal  and  Letters  of  Samuel  Curwen,  Judge  of  Admiralty, 
etc.,  an  American  refugee  in  England,  who  visited  the  town 
on  the  I2th  of  June,  1780  : — 

"  Entered  the  City  of  Liverpool  so  celebrated  for  its  com- 
mercial character  ;  houses  by  a  great  majority  in  middling  and 
lower  style,  few  rising  above  that  mark  ;  streets  long,  narrow, 
crooked,  and  dirty  in  an  eminent  degree.  During  our  short 
abode  here,  we  scarcely  saw  a  well-dressed  person,  nor  half  a 
dozen  gentlemen's  carriages  ;  few  of  the  shops  appear  so  well 
as  in  other  great  towns ;  dress  and  looks  more  like  the 
inhabitants  of  Wapping,  Shadwell,  and  Rotherhithe,  than  in 
the  neighbourhood  of  the  Exchange,  or  any  part  of  London 
above  the  Tower.  The  whole  complexion  nautical,  and  so 
infinitely  below  all  our  expectations,  that  naught  but  the 
thoughts  of  the  few  hours  we  had  to  pass  here  rendered  it 
tolerable.  The  docks,  however,  are  stupendously  grand,  the 
inner  one,  called  Town  Dock  (a)  lying  in  the  centre  of  it,  and 
filled  with  vessels  exhibiting  a  forest  of  masts  ;  besides  this, 
are  three  very  large  ones  (b)  lying  in  front  of  the  city,  com- 
municating with  each  other  by  flood  gates,  intermixed  with 
dry  ones  for  repairing  (c) ;  the  lower  or  new  one  (d]  has  a  fine, 
wide  quay  on  its  outer  side  ;  an  agreeable  walk,  being  lined 
with  trees  on  either  hand  ;  (e)  below  this,  on  the  river,  is  now 
building,  nearly  finished,  a  circular  battery,  (/)  with  embras- 
sures  for  thirty  cannon.  Parade  and  barracks  are  in  hand, 

(a)  The  Old  Dock,  (b]  George's  Dock,  the  Dry  Dock  (now  p.irt  of  the 
Canning  Dock),  and  the  Salthouse  Dock.  (c)  The  Graui  g  Docks.  (d) 
George's  Dock,  (e)  The  North  Ladies'  W.,lk,  (/)  The  Old  Fo.t. 


282  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVA  TEERS. 

and  when  completed,  will  afford  a  charming"  walk  and  prospect, 

if  allowed  to  the  inhabitants." 

On  the  yth  of  April,  1781 — a-  notable  month  for  the 
arrival  of  prizes  this  year — the  Adylet,  from  Curacoa, 
a  prize  taken  by  the  Lookout  and  Prince  of  Orange 
privateers,  came  in,  and,  about  the  same  time,  the  brig 
Venus,  Captain  Quayle  Fargher,  from  Bordeaux  to 
America,  laden  with  cordage,  etc.,  a  prize  to  the  Terror 
privateer.  On  the  loth,  arrived  the  Success,  laden  with 
3000  bushels  of  salt,  115  boxes  of  lemons,  14  boxes  of 
hats,  300  pairs  women's  shoes,  and  about  "4000  weight" 
of  cordage,  a  prize  to  the  James  and  Mary,  Captain 
Preston.  She  had  been  taken  before  by  a  Dartmouth 
privateer,  who  left  on  board  nine  men  and  a  boy,  and 
eleven  Frenchmen  ;  the  latter  had  overpowered  the 
privateer's  people  and  got  possession  of  her  again. 

The  Betty,  Captain  Wilson,  on  her  passage  to  Green- 
land, took  and  sent  into  Lough  Swilly,  the  Johannes,  from 
St.  Eustatia  for  Amsterdam,  laden  with  292  hogsheads  of 
sugar,  100  hogsheads  of  tobacco,  158  bags  of  coffee,  103  bags 
of  cocoa,  and  9  casks  of  indigo. 

On  the  L4th  of  April,  Captain  Butler,  of  the  Tartar,  then  a 
prisoner  in  Bayonne  Castle,  wrote  to  his  owners  in  Liver- 
pool that  he  was  captured  on  the  i5th  of  March,  by  the 
Eagle,  French  ship-of-war,  of  28  guns,  twentyfour-pounders, 
and  430  men,  after  a  chase  of  eight  hours  and  an  engage- 
ment of  one  hour  and  a  quarter.  The  Eagle  had  captured 
nine  prizes  in  three  weeks,  amongst  which  were  the  Stately, 
Captain  Fisher,  and  the  Fly^  Captain  Byrne,  both  of  Liver- 
pool. Captain  Fisher  was  getting  better  of  a  long  sick- 
ness. Men  who  laughed  at  the  perils  of  the  deep  and 
faced  death  without  flinching  in  the  stress  of  battle,  soon 
succumbed  to  chagrin,  prison  fare,  and  close  confinement 
in  a  foreign  land.  In  this  respect  the  more  vivacious 
Frenchmen  suffered  less  during  their  temporary  sojourn  in 


AMERICAN  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE.  283 

the  land  of  ''perfidious  Albion."  The  self-reliant  spirit  of 
the  Scot  in  adversity,  is  happily  illustrated  in  the  following 
letter,  written  to  his  wife,  by  a  Scotch  sailor,  who  was 
evidently  a  humourist  and  a  philosopher  : — 

"  Dear  Jenny  :  This  is  to  let  you  know  that  I  am  well  in  a 
dungeon  at  Dunkirk,  God  be  blessed  for  it,  hoping  to  hear 
from  you  and  all  friends.  Tell  Mrs.  Ross  I  bought  her  stuff- 
ing ;  but  it  is  gane.  Let  Jean  know  that  I  bought  her  a 
gown,  and  it  is  gane  too.  I  bought  an  anker  of  brandy  and 
gin  to  ourselves  ;  but  Jenny,  they  are  gane  too,  and  a's  gane  : 
for  the  French  dogs  unrigged  me  in  an  instant,  and  left  me 
nought  but  a  greasy  jacket  of  their  ain  ;  but  Jenny,  I  have 
saxpence  a  day  from  the  King  of  England,  God  bless  him  ; 
and  I  have  bread  and  water  from  the  French  King,  God  curse 
him.  Out  of  the  saxpence  a  day,  I  have  saved  as  much  as 
bought  me  a  knife,  a  fork,  and  a  wee  Coggie.  Jenny,  keep  a 
good  heart,  for  I'll  get  out  of  this  yet,  and  win  meikle  Siller, 
and  get  a  bottom  of  my  ain  too  ;  and  then  have  at  the  French 
dogs.  I  am,  &c." 

The  vivacity  of  the  French  prisoners  in  Liverpool  is 
mentioned  by  the  Rev.  Gilbert  Wakefield,  who  resided  in 
the  town  at  this  period,  and  who  did  not  think  it  beneath 
his  dignity  to  write  an  anonymous  letter  to  the  Mayor  on 
their  behalf.  He  says  : — 

"The  American  and  French  war  had  now  been  raging  for 
some  months,  and  several  hundred  prisoners  of  the  latter 
nation  had  been  brought  into  Liverpool  by  privateers.  1 
frequently  visited  them  in  their  confinement,  and  was  much 
mortified  and  ashamed  at  their  uniform  complaints  of  hard 
usage,  and  a  scanty  allowance  of  unwholesome  provision. 
What  I  occasionally  observed  in  my  visits  gave  me  but  too 
much  reason  to  believe  the  representations  of  this  pleasing 
people,  who  maintained  their  national  sprightliness  and  good 
humour  undamped  even  by  captivity.  I  kept  my  suspicions 
secret ;  but  wrote  an  anonymous  letter  to  the  Mayor,  stating 
my  observations  and  sentiments  on  the  subject. 


284  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

"  I  was  happy  to  learn  very  soon,  from  the  prisoners  them- 
selves, the  good  effects  of  my  interference ;  and  the  Commissary, 
the  author  of  their  wrong's,  was  presently  superseded  ;  whether 
in  consequence  of  my  detection  of  his  iniquities,  I  could  never 
learn  ;  but  when  I  met  him  in  the  street  there  was  fire  in  his 
eye,  and  fury  in  his  face. 

"  Towards  the  conclusion  of  one  of  my  sermons,  preacht  at 
Liverpool,  I  was  led  by  the  proximity  of  the  subject  to  condemn, 
in  terms  of  the  utmost  asperity,  and  somewhat  hyper-tragical, 
the  horrid  practice  of  aggravating  the  calamities  of  war  by  the 
rapine  and  injustice  of  private  hostility.  This,  in  the  grand 
mart  of  privateering  during  that  war,  and  of  the  African  slave 
trade,  excited,  of  course,  no  small  degree  of  resentment  against 
the  author  of  such  outrageous  doctrine.  I  was  acquainted  at 
that  time  with  no  other  effect  of  my  interference  besides 
malignity  against  myself;  but  learnt  some  years  afterwards, 
that  the  nerves  of  one  lady  were  so  agitated  by  the  thunder  of 
my  lecture,  as  to  allow  herself  and  husband  no  rest  till  he  had 
sold  his  share  in  a  privateer." 

In  April,  1781,  the  Balgrove,  Captain  Thompson,  was 
taken  by  a  French  privateer,  and  recaptured  by  the  mate 
and  four  of  the  crew,  who  overpowered  sixteen  Frenchmen, 
and  carried  the  ship  into  Cove. 

By  a  singular  coincidence,  the  Alert  privateer,  of  Alderney, 
took  the  Reine  Jeanne,  from  St.  Domingo  to  Nantz,  which 
proved  to  be  the  former  Alert  privateer,  of  Liverpool.  A 
much  more  remarkable  circumstance  happened  before  the 
close  of  the  year,  when  a  Captain  M 'Bride  discovered  in  the 
father  and  son,  who  commanded  two  Dutch  privateers  taken 
by  him,  the  very  men  he  had  captured,  under  similar 
circumstances,  twenty-one  years  before. 

In  May,  1781,  the  Ferret  privateer,  of  10  guns,  Captain 
Archer,  was  taken  by  the  French,  and  retaken  by  the 
Vulture  privateer,  of  Jersey  ;  and  on  the  3ist  of  the  same 
month,  the  Patsey,  Captain  Dooling,  was  taken,  off  the 
Western  Islands,  by  the  Fripon,  French  frigate  of  44  guns 


AMERICAN  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE.  285 

and  400  men,  after  an  engagement  of  one  hour  and-a-half 
in  which  Captain  Dooling,  the  sailing  master,  and  six  of  the 
crew  of  the  Patsey  were  killed,  and  several  wounded. 

The  slave  ship  Essex,  Captain  Potter,  on  her  voyage  to 
Guinea,  took  two  Dutchmen,  from  St.  Eustatia  to  Amsterdam 
and  Rotterdam,  laden  with  400  hogsheads  of  sugar,  119 
hogsheads  of  tobacco,  and  800  bags  of  coffee.  La  Fortune, 
one  of  the  prizes,  was  totally  lost  near  Wexford,  and  all  the 
crew  perished  ;  the  other  prize,  called  the  Golden  Tea, 
arrived  safe  in  Liverpool.  The  Fly  privateer  took  a  Dutch 
brig,  from  St.  Eustatia,  and  carried  her  into  Kinsale.  The 
Stormont,  Captain  Dawson,  took  the  Henry  and  Maria,  of 
Amsterdam,  from  Salonica,  ,  with  462  bales  of  cotton. 
Another  Dutchman,  called  the  Vleyt,  from  Curacoa  to 
Amsterdam,  was  taken  by  the  Lookout,  Captain  Wright, 
and  sent  into  Scilly.  The  cargo  consisted  of  794  bags 
of  coffee,  77  casks  of  indigo,  1 10  hogsheads  of  sugar,  43  bags 
of  cocoa,  140  bags  of  tobacco,  hides,  sarsaparilla,  and  800 
pieces  of  wood.  The  Minerva,  Captain  Ryder,  took  another 
valuable  Dutch  ship,  called  the  Good  Friends,  from  St. 
Eustatia  to  Amsterdam,  with  504  hogsheads  and  tierces  of 
sugar,  524  bags  of  coffee,  137  hogsheads  and  244  bags  of 
tobacco,  16  bales  of  cotton,  besides  elephants'  teeth,  etc. 

The  Industry,  Captain  Moore,  on  her  passage  to  New 
York,  had  an  engagement  of  75  minutes  with  a  privateer  of 
16  guns,  which,  having  much  shattered,  she  beat  off. 
In  March,  the  Woolton,  Captain  Backhouse,  took  and  carried 
into  the  Shannon,  a  ship  from  St.  Domingo,  called  La 
Sartine,  of  350  tons  burthen,  16  guns,  and  58  men.  She 
engaged  the  Woolton  three  hours  and-a-half,  and  had 
eight  men  wounded,  three  of  whom  afterwards  died  of  their 
wounds.  The  Woolton  had  only  one  man  wounded.  The 
prize,  which  entered  the  river  Mersey  on  April  loth,  was 
laden  with  coffee,  sugar,  etc.,  valued  at  ;£  15,000.  The 
Barbara,  Captain  Perry,  on  her  passage  from  St.  Eustatia,. 


\ 

286  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

met  with  a  French  privateer,  of  24  guns,  which,  after  an 
engagement  of  three  glasses  and-a-half,  she  beat  off.  The 
Barbara  captured  a  brig,  from  Curacoa  to  Rotterdam, 
which  arrived  in  Liverpool  on  April  loth,  1781. 

The  Townside,  Captain  Bonsall,  cruising  in  company  with 
the  Rodney  and  Union,  of  Barbadoes,  captured  three  Dutch 
prizes  from  Demerara,  one  of  which,  a  large  ship  with  190 
bales  of  cotton,  456  hogsheads  of  sugar,  1447  bags  and 
1 1 1  casks  of  coffee,  they  sent  to  Tobago  ;  another,  with  a 
cargo  of  206  bales  of  cotton,  241  casks  and  3015  bags  of 
coffee,  they  ordered  to  Barbadoes  ;  and  a  schooner,  with  rum 
etc.,  into  St.  Lucia.  The  Townside  and  the  Rodney,  in 
company  with  two  sloops  of  war,  were  concerned  in  the 
further  capture  of  four  ships  in  the  harbour  of  Demerara; 
and  in  Essequibo  of  several  other  vessels.  A  little  later  on, 
the  Townside  had  a  narrow  escape  from  capture  when  the 
French  fleet  appeared  before  St.  Lucia,  but  she  cut  her 
cables,  slipped  out,  and  arrived  safe  at  Tortola. 

In  May,  Captain  Fayrer,  in  the  Harlequin  privateer, 
cruising  in  sight  of  the  Azores,  took  a  Swedish  brig,  and,  by 
stratagem,  discovered  that  "  she  was  sent  out  to  give  advice 
to  the  East  Indiamen."  He  afterwards  took  and  detained 
another  from  Ostend,  upon  the  same  errand.  The  Harle- 
quin and  the  Ccesar,  of  Bristol,  in  company,  took  a  ship  from 
Curacoa,  and  sent  her  to  Bristol.  In  August,  the  Harlequin 
arrived  in  Liverpool  with  two  prizes,  the  Swallow  and  a 
French  snow.  In  the  summer  of  1783,  the  Harlequin 
arrived  at  St.  Lucia,  from  Africa,  after  a  severe  engagement 
with  a  French  privateer  of  20  guns,  in  which  Captain  Fayrer 
behaved  with  great  courage. 

"Tuesday  se'n night, "  says  Williamson's  Advertiser, 
-of  the  6th  of  February,  1783,  "was  determined  in  the  Court 
of  Admiralty,  a  cause  long  depending  between  the  owners 
of  the  ships  Patsey  and  Harlequin  of  Liverpool,  and  the 
Ccesar  of  Bristol,  respecting  the  right  which  the  former 


AMERICAN  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE.  287 

claimed  as  joint  captors  of  the  ship  Eendroght,  bound  from 
Curacoa  to  Amsterdam,  the  most  valuable  West  Indiaman 
taken  during  the  course  of  the  war,  upwards  of  ,£40,000  of 
her  proceeds  being  lodged  in  the  Court  of  Admiralty.  It 
was  adjudged  in  favour  of  the  Liverpool  ships,  which  are 
the  property  of  Henry  Rawlinson,  Esq.,  member  for  this 
town,  and  Messrs.  Earle  &  Co.,  merchants." 

The  Ra-wlinson  and  the  Molly  arrived  in  Liverpool  at  the 
beginning  of  June,  1781,  having  parted  from  the  fleet, 
which  left  Jamaica  on  the  iyth  of  March,  under  convoy  of 
4  line  of  battle  ships,  a  50  and  a  44.  In  consequence  of 
information  received  at  Jamaica,  the  fleet  sailed  through  the 
Windward  passage,  to  avoid  20  French  and  Spanish  ships 
of  the  line  said  to  be  at  the  Havannah  waiting  for  them. 
The  convoy  fell  in  with  a  French  64,  called  the  Marquis  dc 
la  Fayette,  bound  from  France  to  America,  with  80  pieces 
of  brass  cannon,  clothing  for  ten  regiments,  stores  for  two 
ships,  and  about  2,000,000  livres  in  specie,  which  they 
captured.  They  also  retook  the  James  and  Rebecca,  from 
Liverpool  to  New  York,  which  had  been  captured  by  an 
American  privateer,  of  18  guns,  and  was  proceeding  with 
her  for  America.  The  privateer  was  chased  for  eighteen 
hours  but  outsailed  her  pursuers.  The  portion  of  the  fleet 
destined  for  Liverpool  consisted  mainly,  of  course,  of 
slave  ships,  bringing  sugar,  rum,  and  other  commodities, 
purchased  with  the  proceeds  of  the  human  cargoes  which 
they  had  carried  from  Africa  to  the  West  Indies. 

In  the  first  week  of  July,  the  Prosperity,  a  ship  of  300 
tons,  laden  with  lumber,  etc.,  for  Tenerifle,  arrived  in 
Liverpool,  having  been  captured  by  the  Lydia,  Captain 
Fell;  also  the  Resolution,  laden  with  brandy,  Geneva,  etc., 
a  prize  to  the  Lurcher,  Captain  Doyle.  The  Seacombe, 
Captain  Pagan,  arrived  on  the  coast  of  Africa,  from  Liver- 
pool, "  with  five  spermaceti  whales,  and  a  large  Dutch  ship, 
her  prize."  The  Kitty,  Captain  Clough,  on  her  passage 


288  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

from  Liverpool  to  Jamaica,  had  an  engagement  of  seven 
hours  with  a  privateer,  which  she  beat  off.  On  the  home- 
ward voyage,  the  Kitty  captured  a  prize,  which  entered  the 
Mersey  with  her  in  September  ;  and  in  the  same  month 
there  came  in  a  vessel  called  the  Johannes,  laden  with 
tobacco,  coffee,  etc.,  prize  to  the  Betty. 

About  this  time,  threats  of  a  French  invasion  helped  to 
intensify  the  horrors  and  miseries  of  war.  In  the 
beginning  of  September,  the  following  alarming  dispatch 
was  received  by  the  commanding  officer  in  Liverpool : — 

"DUBLIN,  in  Homoaze,  August  ^oth,  1781. 
"  SIR, — I  think  it  necessary  to  acquaint  you,  by  express, 
that  on  the  evening  of  the  28th  inst.,  the  combined  fleets  of  the 
enemy  (French,  Spanish,  and  Dutch),  consisting-  of  thirty-four 
or  thirty-five  sail  of  the  line,  were  seen  five  or  six  leagues  to 
the  east  of  Scilly,  and  that  there  is  great  reason  to  apprehend 
that  they  are  now  in  the  Channel  ;  in  order  that  you  may  make 
the  same  known  to  the  captains  of  any  of  his  Majesty's  ships 
that  may  be  within  your  reach,  as  well  as  the  merchants  of 
Liverpool,  to  prevent  any  of  their  trade  from  falling  into  their 
hands.  Vice-Admiral  Darby,  with  his  Majesty's  squadron 
under  his  command,  is  now  in  Torbay.  I  am,  Sir,  yours, 

SHULDAM." 

Captain  Campbell,  of  the  Dick,  of  Liverpool,  writing  to 
his  owners  from  Staten  Island,  on  the  29th  of  July,  1781, 
gives  the  following  account  of  an  engagement  between  the 
Dick  and  an  American  vessel  : — 

"  On  the  1 7th  of  June,  at  nine  in  the  morning-,  lat.  39.  40  ; 
long.  54.  30  ;  we  fell  in  with  an  American  ship  of  20  six- 
pounders,  which  engaged  us  from  nine  till  a  quarter  past  1 1 , 
when  he  made  sail  from  us.  We  immediately  gave  chace, 
but  could  not  come  up  with  him,  our  ship  sailed  so  heavy. 
When  we  got  upon  the  coast  of  America,  saw  two  or  three 
sail  every  day,  sometimes  five  privateers  in  a  day,  sloops  and 
schooners.  His  Majesty's  frigate  Orpheus  fell  in  with  us  off  the 


AMERICAN  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE.  289 

Hook,  and  pressed  three  of  our  best  men,  nine  more  were 
pressed  at  the  Hook.  Our  officers  and  men  behaved  very 
gallantly  all  the  time  we  were  engaged.  We  fired  twenty- 
seven  broadsides  ;  only  one  man  wounded,  and  one  boy  his 
arm  broke. 

"  Amount  of  shot  which  took  place  from  the  privateer  :  In 
the  jibb,  13,  great  and  small  ;  fore  topmast  staysail,  2  ;  fore- 
sail, 14  ;  fore  topsail,  8  ;  main  topmast  staysail,  31  ;  main  top- 
sail, 30;  main  sail,  42;  main  staysail,  12  ;  mizen,  n  ;  main 
topsail,  13  ;  in  the  hull,  36 ;  main  mast,  2  ;  mizen  mast,  i  ; 
fore  shrouds,  3  ;  main  shrouds,  2  ;  main  stay,  i  ;  mizen  stay, 
i  ;  fore  and  main  topgallant  rigging  all  cut  away  ;  fore  top- 
mast shrouds,  3  ;  main  top  ditto,  2  ;  back  stays,  3  ;  a  number 
more,  not  ascertained,  one  shot  went  through  the  side  and 
through  a  butt  of  water. " 

In  September,  1781,  the  Lightning  privateer,  Captain 
Walker,  took  a  large  Swedish  ship  of  about  500  tons,  from 
Bordeaux  to  St.  Domingo,  laden  with  bale  goods,  wine, 
flour,  etc.,  value  as  per  invoice,  330,118  livres.  In  March, 
1782,  the  Lightning  captured  a  Spanish  packet,  from  the 
Havannah  to  Cadiz,  with  12,000  dollars  on  board,  and  sent 
her  into  Lisbon.  On  the  3Oth  of  May,  1782,  the  Maria,  from 
L'Orient,  with  wine,  salt,  etc.,  another  prize  to  the  Lightning, 
arrived  in  Liverpool.  The  St.  George  schooner,  from 
Rochelle  for  Martinique,  with  wine,  flour,  oil,  and  bale 
goods,  also  captured  by  the  Lightning,  narrowly  escaped 
being  recaptured  by  a  large  cutter  privateer,  which  chased 
her  into  Kinsale.  In  September,  the  Lightning  took  a 
vessel  with  77  hogsheads  of  tobacco,  and  on  December  2ist, 
off  the  island  of  St.  Michael,  she  captured  a  French  East 
India  packet,  from  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  for  St.  Malo, 
with  passengers  and  despatches  for  France.  The  mails  were 
thrown  overboard,  and  narrowly  escaped  being  taken.  The 
vessel  was  formerly  the  English  privateer,  Resolution, 
re-christened  Le  Mars  by  her  French  captors. 


290  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

The  paper  of  October  4th,  1781,  stated  that  the  Quaker, 
Captain  Evans,  had  arrived  at  Newfoundland  from  Liver- 
pool, with  a  rebel  privateer  of  -13  guns,  which  he  had 
captured.  Early  in  1782,  the  Quaker  took  three  prizes,  and 
carried  them  into  Antigua,  where  they  sold  for  ,£21,000. 
On  his  passage  to  Newfoundland,  in  the  autumn  of  the  same 
year,  this  very  pugnacious  Quaker  fell  in  with  a  French 
44-gun  ship,  exchanged  a  broadside  with  her,  and  got  clear 
by  dint  of  sailing,  after  an  exciting  chase  of  twelve  hours. 
The  Quaker  had  one  boy  killed,  and  another  wounded,  but 
received  no  other  damage.  In  the  paper  of  February  6th, 
J783,  we  read  that  the  Quaker  had  captured  in  the  West 
Indies,  a  brig  with  a  Letter  of  Marque,  from  Martinico  to 
France,  laden  with  sugar,  coffee,  and  cocoa,  valued  at 
^10,000,  and  sent  her  to  Tortola. 

England  was  now  at  war  with  Holland,  as  well  as  with 
the  United  States,  France  and  Spain.  The  English  were 
by  this  time  disgusted  with  the  folly  of  their  rulers,  and 
weary  of  the  unnatural  strife  with  their  own  kinsmen  beyond 
the  seas.  The  enemies'  privateers  were  doing  excellent 
business  on  our  coasts.  When  the  Count  de  Guichen, 
French  privateer,  was  taken  by  the  English  frigate  Aurora, 
Captain  Collins,  she  had  on  board  the  following  ransom 
bills,  or  promises  to  pay  ransom,  given  by  British  merchant 
ships  to  the  French  commander.  The  Peace,  of  White- 
haven,  2000  guineas ;  the  Spooner,  of  Glasgow,  1800 
guineas;  the  Fortitude,  of  Greenock,  1500  guineas;  the 
Six  Sisters,  Isle-of-Man,  1500  guineas ;  the  William,  of 
Bristol,  1500  guineas  ;  the  Sally,  of  Strangford,  500 guineas; 
the  Lark,  of  Workington,  300  guineas ;  the  Glory,  of 
Workington,  150  guineas  ;  and  the  Elizabeth,  no  guineas  ; 
a  total  of  9360  guineas  during  one  cruise.  This  probably 
fell  short  of  the  mischief  actually  done  to  British  commerce 
by  this  single  ship,  as  it  was  the  habit  of  privateers  to 
plunder,  burn,  or  sink  vessels  which  were  not  ransomed,  or 


AMERICAN  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE  291 

which  were  too  insignificant  to  send  home  in  charge  of  a 
prize  crew  to  be  condemned.  So  great  was  the  boldness  of 
the  enemies'  privateers,  that  the  Dublin  linen  ships,  said  to 
be  worth  ^150,000,  were  convoyed  from  Dublin  to  Chester 
fair,  by  the  Boston  frigate  and  two  armed  cutters,  lest  the 
linen  should  be  diverted  to  a  French  market. 

In  September,  1781,  the  Heart  of  Oak  privateer,  Captain 
Ash,  recaptured  the  Alexander  privateer,  of  Liverpool, 
which  had  been  taken  by  an  American  frigate.  In  March, 
1782,  we  read  of  the  Heart  of  Oak  taking  a  Dutch  privateer, 
which  was  cruising  off  the  Humber,  and  carrying  her  into 
Hull.  The  Dutchman  had  taken  two  colliers  and  a  corn 
vessel,  the  ransom  of  the  latter  being  1200  guineas. 

The  Tom  privateer,  of  Liverpool,  captured  the  Countess 
de  Maurepas,  French  privateer,  16  guns  and  120  men, 
which  had  been  cruising  in  the  Channel,  and  taken  the 
Blessing,  of  Workington,  which  she  ransomed  for  450 
guineas. 

In  the  summer  of  1781,  the  notorious  Pat  Dowling  was 
doing  a  "  roaring  trade  "  in  the  Channel,  when  he  took  the 
Olive  Branch,  from  Liverpool  to  Charleston,  which  he 
ransomed  for  7700  guineas.  It  was  said  he  had  17  ransomers 
on  board,  and  had  taken  on  the  Irish  coast  upwards  of 
twenty  vessels,  five  of  which  he  had  sunk,  as  the  people 
would  not  ransom  on  his  terms.  He  took  a  vessel  from 
Maryport,  and  ransomed  her  for  750  guineas  ;  the  William, 
from  Bristol  to  Liverpool,  ransomed  for  900  guineas  ;  the 
Elizabeth,  from  Liverpool  to  Cork,  ransomed  for  800  guineas; 
and  the  Sally,  for  Guernsey,  which  'he  released  for  700 
guineas.  It  is  difficult  to  understand  what  the  King's 
cruisers  were  doing  while  this  enterprising  Irishman,  and 
others  of  his  countrymen,  were  serving  France  so  effectually 
in  the  Channel.  Well  might  the  paper  of  October  4th, 
observe  that  "the  safe  arrival  of  the  Leeward  Islands  fleet  is 
a  circumstance  which  must  diffuse  a  general  joy  through 


292  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

this  country,  and  ought  to  excite  its  gratitude,  when  it  is 
considered  from  what  an  host  of  foes  it  has  escaped." 

"In  the  history  of  England,"  says  the  paper  of  January 
24th,  1782,  "many  are  the  intervals  where  she  was 
surrounded  with  imminent  dangers  ;  yet  did  her  native 
spirit  prove  ultimately  superior  to  and  surmount  every  peril. 
Let  her  admirals  and  generals  rouse  into  a  true  spirit  of 
action,  her  people  be  united  and  lay  by  at  the  present 
alarming  crisis  all  party  animosities,  and  act  with  one 
heart  and  with  one  arm,  and  there  is  no  doubt  but  the  ensign 
of  Albion  will  again  wave  to  victory,  to  fame,  and  to  honour." 
The  country  as  a  whole,  however,  had  by  this  time  become 
sick  of  the  war.  Petitions  and  addresses  against  the 
further  prosecution  of  it  began  to  pour  in.  In  January, 
1782,  the  Corporation  of  Bristol,  not  content  with  merely 
voting  a  petition  to  the  House  of  Commons  against  the 
continuance  of  the  struggle  with  America,  went  a  step 
further  and  requested  the  House  to  advise  the  King  to  a 
total  change  of  the  unhappy  system  which  had  involved 
the  nation  in  such  complicated  misfortunes.  In  March, 
1782,  a  resolution  was  moved  in  Parliament,  and  passed 
without  a  division,  declaring  that  the  House  would  consider 
as  enemies  to  his  Majesty  and  the  country  all  who  should 
advise  the  prosecution  of  offensive  war  in  North  America. 

On  Sunday  evening,  March  3rd,  1782,  as  two  of  the 
press-gang  were  conveying  a  man,  whom  they  had  just 
impressed,  to  the  press-room,  he  suddenly  turned  upon 
them,  drew  out  a  loaded  pistol,  shot  one  of  them  dead,  and 
escaped.  The  coroner's  jury  brought  in  a  verdict  of  man- 
slaughter. 

In  April,  1782,  the  Venus,  Captain  Brown,  arrived  at 
Hoylake,  from  St.  Lucia,  having  on  the  voyage  taken  a 
valuable  prize,  with  87  hogsheads  of  tobacco,  naval  stores, 
etc.,  on  board. 

At  six  o'clock  on  Monday  morning,  the  iQth  of  May,  1782, 


AMERICAN  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE.  293 

an  express  from  the  Admiralty  arrived  in  Liverpool,  with 
dispatches  for  the  Mayor,  announcing  Admiral  Rodney's 
victory  over  the  French  fleet,  in  the  West  Indies.  The 
" great  and  glorious  news"  was  received  with  delight  in  the 
town,  which  was  deeply  interested  in  Jamaica  and  the  West 
India  Islands,  both  on  the  ground  of  property,  and  because 
the  Liverpool  Blues  were  on  military  duty  in  the  former 
fsland.  Joy  bells  were  set  ringing  for  the  rest  of  the  day, 
and  flags  were  displayed  on  all  the  public  buildings.  At 
noon,  a  royal  salute  of  twenty-one  guns  was  fired,  from 
George's  Battery.  At  one  o'clock,  the  Westminster  Militia 
were  drawn  up  in  front  of  the  Exchange,  and  fired  three 
volleys,  amidst  the  acclamations  of  thousands  of  spectators. 
After  this  great  victory,  which  restored  confidence  to  the 
public  mind  after  so  many  disasters,  all  the  West  India 
ships  sailed  for  England,  and  arrived  in  safety.  Amongst 
them  were  eleven  rich  Jamaica  ships  for  Liverpool,  which 
arrived  in  July. 

In  May,  the  Kitty,  Captain  Clough,  on  the  voyage  from 
Liverpool  to  Jamaica,  took  a  prize  from  Guadaloupe  for 
Cadiz,  which  she  convoyed  to  Londonderry.  The  cargo 
consisted  of  130  hogsheads  of  sugar,  7  hogsheads,  25  tierces, 
and  150  bags  of  coffee,  55  bags  of  ginger,  39  bales  of  cotton, 
151  bags  of  cocoa,  2  barrels  of  copper,  etc.  On  the  25th  of 
the  same  month,  the  Bridget,  Captain  Gilbody,  from  Liver- 
pool for  the  Leeward  Islands,  took  and  sent  into  Londonderry, 
the  American  brig  Dove,  from  St.  Domingo  to  Cadiz,  laden 
with  35,500  Ibs.  of  cocoa,  4000  Ibs.  turtle  shell,  4020  Ibs. 
indigo,  besides  other  articles. 

The  Jenny,  Captain  Collison,  and  the  Tom,  Captain 
Briggs,  on  their  passage  from  St.  Lucia  to  Liverpool,  had 
an  engagement  with  an  American  privateer,  and  beat  her 
off,  with  a  loss  to  the  Tom  of  two  passengers — an  officer  and 
his  servant — who  were  killed.  A  little  later  they  took  an 
American  vessel  called  the  Fox. 


294  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

The  ship  Rumbold,  Captain  Molyneux,  on  the  middle 
passage  from  Africa  to  Jamaica,  with  slaves,  beat  off  a 
French  privateer,  of  24  guns,  after  a  severe  action  of  about 
an  hour,  in  which  three  men  were  killed  and  eleven  wounded 
on  board  the  Ritmbold,  which  had  only  16  guns  and  45 
men. 

The  Quest,  Captain  Ogden,  in  company  with  a  Jersey 
privateer, .  took  a  vessel  from  Havannah  to  Cadiz,  laden 
with  sugar,  etc.  The  Quest  afterwards  took  the  Good 
Design,  an  American  brig,  laden  with  fish,  molasses,  etc., 
and  carried  her  into  St.  Lucia,  to  be  sold.  On  the  3rd  of 
November,  1782,  the  Quest,  in  company  with  the  Iris,  of 
Tortola,  captured  the  American  brig  Thoroughgood,  with  a 
cargo  of  rum,  salt,  and  dry  goods.  On  the  i6th,  they 
engaged  four  American  vessels,  one  of  which  carried  18  nine- 
pounders.  The  Iris  in  this  affair  kept  aloof.  After  a 
gallant  action,  the  Quest  had  to  sheer  off,  much  shattered, 
having  four  men  killed,  and  four  wounded,  amongst  the 
latter  being  the  brave  Captain  Ogden,  who  afterwards  died 
of  his  wounds. 

The  Liverpool,  Captain  Webster,  on  her  passage  to  Africa, 
took  a  French  ship,  of  400  tons,  14  twelve-pounders,  and  63 
men,  bound  from  Bordeaux  to  the  Isle  of  France,  with 
cordage,  wine,  brandy,  etc.,  but  the  prize  was  recaptured  by 
two  French  frigates.  The  Mossley  Hill,  Captain  Hewan, 
captured  off  Cape  Mount,  on  the  coast  of  Africa,  an  outward 
bound  East  Indiaman  from  Toulon,  and  despatched  her  to 
Tortola,  where  the  Mossley  Hill  arrived  in  due  course,  with  a 
cargo  of  723  prime  negroes.  The  Spy,  Captain  Burrows, 
while  proceeding  from  Africa  to  the  West  Indies,  with  250 
slaves  and  about  6  tons  of  ivory,  was  taken  by  two  French 
frigates,  and  carried  to  Dominica.  The  Stag,  Captain 
Butler,  was  more  fortunate,  having  on  her  voyage  to  the 
coast,  taken  a  ship,  bound  from  Barcelona  to  Buenos  Ayres, 
valued  at  ^8000,  which,  added  to  the  profit  on  a  cargo  of  700 


AMERICAN  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE.  295 

slaves  carried  to  the  West  Indies,   no  doubt  satisfied  the 
owners. 

The  Molly )  Captain  Jordan,  from  Jamaica  for  Liverpool, 
was  captured  off  the  Tuskar,  by  the  Terror  of  England 
privateer,  of  22  guns,  commanded  by  an  Irishman  named 
Kelly,  after  an  engagement  of  three  hours,  in  which  Captain 
Jordan  and  four  of  his  people  were  killed.  Afterwards,  a 
gale  of  wind  came  on,  when  the  prize  crew,  whom  Kelly 
had  put  on  board  the  Molly,  not  knowing  what  to  do  with 
her,  delivered  her  up  to  her  own  crew,  who  had  been  left 
on  board,  and  by  them  she  was  carried  into  Greenock.  A 
few  days  later,  the  Terror  of  England  was  captured  by  the 
Stag  frigate,  Captain  Cooper,  and  carried  into  Dublin,  where 
Kelly  does  not  appear  to  have  been  received  with  the  amount 
of  fraternal  love  which  an  "enemy  of  Great  Britain"  naturally 
expected  on  Irish  soil,  even  prior  to  the  Union. 

A  Dublin  newspaper  referred  to  the  captain  in  the 
following  unsympathetic  terms  : — 

"Captain  Kelly,"  says  the  Journalist,  "seems  to  be  not 
in  the  least  affected  with  his  present  situation,  and  considers 
this  change  of  fortune  as  a  mere  bagatelle,  beneath  making  any 
impression  upon  a  gentleman  of  his  spirit  and  humanity.  The 
Captain  imagines  that  by  the  assistance  of  Le  Roy  de  France, 
whose  signature  he  displays  to  a  scrap  of  parchment,  he  will 
be  able  to  baffle  the  utmost  efforts  of  the  King's  lawyers,  and 
once  more  be  liberated  to  plunder  the  property  of  the  subjects 
of  his  native  land  with  impunity.  There  does  not  seem  to  be  a 
doubt  entertained  but  Kelly  will  add  one  more  to  the  numerous 
throng  that  occasionally  make  their  exit  from  that  tree  which 
so  often  has  promoted  the  good  of  the  community  by  ridding 
the  world  of  villains  disgraceful  to  human  nature.  The  horrid 
treatment  of  Lieutenant  Vickers,  of  the  Hope  cutter,  with  his 
brave  crew,  is  recent  in  every  memory.  This  renegade  refused 
quarter  to  these  tars,  after  fighting  him  nobly  with  an  inferior 
force,  and  continued,  when  they  had  pulled  down  their  colours, 
pouring  in  his  broadsides.  Some  of  his  infernal  crew,  after 


296  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

they  boarded  the  cutter,  cut  and  abused,  in  a  shocking-  manner, 
several  of  the  men.  He  can  scarce  escape  the  reward  due  for 
his  inhumanity  and  piracy,  as  the  most  positive  evidence  can  be 
produced  of  his  being  born  in  this  country." 

In  August,  1782,  there  arrived  in  Liverpool,  from  Jamaica, 
a  self-made  man,  one  of  whose  first  acts  on  landing  in  his 
native  land  entitled  him  to  be  called  one  of  Nature's  noble- 
men. Richard  Watt,  a  poor  boy,  like  Richard  Whittington, 
and  with  some  of  that  hero's  grit  in  him,  came  to  Liverpool 
from  Standish,  near  Wigan,  probably  about  1740,  and, 
according  to  Smithers,  was  hired  by  Mr.  Geoffry  Walley,* 
to  look  after  his  horse  and  chaise,  the  only  carriage  then 
kept  in  the  town,  except  the  coach  of  "  Madame"  Clayton. 
His  master  sent  him  to  an  evening  school,  and,  finding  him 
tractable  and  industrious,  advanced  him  to  the  counting- 
house,  and  employed  him  as  supercargo  to  Jamaica,  where 
he  settled  and  acquired  a  large  fortune.  Time  had  not 
effaced  the  memory  of  his  old  master's  kindness,  and  on  his 
return  to  Liverpool,  after  an  absence  of  about  forty  years, 
his  first  enquiries  were  after  the  survivors  of  his  former 
employer's  family.  He  found  two  maiden  sisters — one 
account  states  two  widows — in  poor  circumstances,  upon 
each  of  whom  he  settled  ^100  a  year  for  life.  He  was  head 
of  the  firm  of  Messrs.  Watt  and  Walker,  and  built  the 
mansion  of  Oakhill,  Old  Swan.  His  nephews,  Richard 
Watt  and  Richard  Walker,  to  whom  he  left  upwards  of 
half-a-million,  resided  in  Duke  Street.  Mr.  Watt  died  in 
1796,  aged  72,  and  was  interred  at  Standish,  having  been 
born  at  Shevington  in  that  parish.  Mr.  Richard  Watt 
bought  the  manor  of  Speke  from  Charles  George,  son  of 
Topham  Beauclerk,  the  friend  of  Dr.  Johnson,  and  Miss 
Adelaide  Watt,  the  representative  of  Richard  Watt,  is  the 
present  lady  of  the  manor.  Her  residence,  Speke  Hall,  is 

*  Brooke  states  that  his  employer  was  James  Dimniock,  or  Dimoke,   horse  and 
chaise  hirer,  Fenwick  Street. 


AMERICAN  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE.  297 

a  fine  specimen  of  an  ancient  Lancashire  manor  house,  and 
was  for  ages  the  home  of  the  Norris  family. 

The  Molly,  Captain  M'Kown,  on  her  passage  to  Jamaica, 
took  two  prizes,  but  the  Molly,  Captain  Lloyd,  bound  for 
St.  Lucia,  had  the  ill-fortune  to  fall  in  with  the  Holker, 
American  privateer,  which,  after  a  smart  engagement, 
carried  her  to  Martinico.  Captain  Lloyd  had  four  men 
killed  and  13  wounded. 

Two  items  of  intelligence  in  the  newspapers  of  October 
1 7th,  1782,  spread  universal  joy  throughout  the  nation. 
The  first  was,  that  the  grand  attack  of  the  Spaniards  and 
French  on  the  fortress  of  Gibraltar  had  been  totally  defeated 
by  sea  and  land  by  General  Elliot  ;  the  second  was,  that 
Messrs.  Fitzherbert  &  Oswald,  on  the  part  of  Great  Britain, 
had  exchanged  credentials  with  Messrs.  Franklin  &  Jay, 
the  ambassadors  of  the  United  States,  preparatory  to 
the  arrangement  of  the  terms  of  peace  between  the  two 
countries. 

The  year  1782,  at  the  end  of  which  we  have  now 
arrived,  was  memorable  for  the  great  losses  and  defeats 
sustained  by  both  the  French  and  Spaniards.  A  Liver- 
pool poet,  Edward  Rushton — like  Roscoe,  the  friend  of 
liberty,  irrespective  of  colour — published  the  following 
stanzas  : — 

Britain  !  thy  fame  in  eighty-two 

Outswells  the  boast  of  fifty-nine, 
Gallia  was  vanquished  then,  'tis  true, 

But  now  a  host  of  foes  combine  ; 
A  host  combine  to  pull  thee  down, 
And  strip  thee  of  thy  nautic  crown  ; 
Whilst  proud  rebellion  towers  on  high, 
And  millions  from  their  duty  fly : 
Never,  oh,  Britain  !  did  the  warring  storm 
Howl  round  thy  rocky  coast  in  such  a  threatening  form. 


298  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

To  keep  such  numerous  foes  at  bay, 
Is  one  continued  victory  ; 

But  now  old  ocean  owns  thy  sway, 

And  vanquished  foes  confounded  fly. 

As  skims  the  flying"  finny  brood, 

When  by  the  Albicore  pursued, 

So,  in  this  great,  this  wondrous  year, 

When  'bove  themselves  thy  sons  appear, 

Proud  Gallia's  navy  fled  in  dire  dismay, 

And  had  Cordova  dared,  so  had  he  winged  his  way. 

Britain  !  'tis  done,  and  grim  despair 

Has  fastened  on  each  vengeful  foe  ; 

The  Rock's*  relieved  ;  and  through  the  air, 
Hark  !  how  the  sounds  of  triumph  flow. 

And  now,  ye  unassisting  powers, 

What  think  ye  !  is  the  trident  ours  ? 

Ye  baffled  foes,  what  arts,  ah  !  say, 

Can  wipe  the  foul  disgrace  away  ? 

For  wondering  Europe  ey'd  the  important  deed, 

And,  spite  of  every  boast,  beheld  your  foes  succeed. 
The  strong  contrast  afforded  between  the  kindly  feelings 
cherished  in  England  towards  the  Americans,  and  the 
rooted  animosity  entertained  for  their  allies,  "  the  hereditary 
enemies  of  Great  Britain,"  is  reflected  in  the  following 
song  "  On  the  prospect  of  peace  with  America,"  to  be  sung 
to  the  tune  of  "  Hearts  of  Oak,  etc.,"  printed  in  the  Liver- 
pool paper  of  the  gth  of  January,  1783  : — 

I. 

Hark  !  the  lion  is  roused,  and  the  cannons  they  roar, 
Like  the  thunder  of  Jove,  from  the  main  to  the  shore. 
Tell  the  false  sons  of  France,  and  their  neighbours  of  Spain 
We'll  teach  them  to  dance  to  the  old  tune  again. 

France  and  Spain  then  shall  know, 

That  their  topsails  shall  bow  ; 

If  we  meet  them,  we'll  hail  'em, 

Like  Britons  assail  'em  ; 
We'll  fight  or  we'll  die,  still  Lords  of  the  main. 

*Gibraltar. 


AMERICAN  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE.  299 

II. 

Let  the  Cherubs  of  bliss  now  diffuse  it  around, 
And  the  Seraphs  of  concord  exult  in  their  sound, 
That  America  comes,  with  mild  peace  in  her  train, 
While  the  olive  re-blooms,  and  we're  friends  once  again. 

France  and  Spain,  etc. 

III. 

The  Maid  of  the  Colonies  puts  forth  her  hand, 
Bids  commerce  to  flourish  once  more  in  this  land  ; 
Britannia  she  bends,  and  with  joy  in  each  eye, 
Cries,  let  us  be  friends,  and  the  world  we  defy. 

France  and  Spain,  etc. 

The  Mermaid,  Captain  Reynolds,  on  her  passage  from 
Antigua,  took  a  brig,  laden  with  lumber,  etc.  The  Antigalli- 
can,  Captain  Corran,  on  her  passage  to  Tortola,  captured 
off  Porto  Rico  two  prizes  ;  one  an  American  brig,  loaded 
with  salt,  the  other  a  Spanish  vessel,  of  182  tons,  bound  to 
Cape  Fran9ois  with  flour,  wine,  oil,  soap,  canvas,  cordage, 
bale  goods,  etc.  The  Rover,  Captain  Latham,  from  Africa 
for  the  West  Indies,  with  209  slaves,  was  captured  by  an 
American  privateer,  and  carried  into  Martinico. 

The  Bella,  Captain  Burgess,  was  taken  by  her  crew,  a 
day  or  two  after  she  sailed  from  Jamaica  for  Liverpool. 
The  mutineers  killed  the  chief  mate,  and  landed  the  Captain 
and  two  of  his  men  upon  a  rocky  island,  called  the  Jordans. 
The  vessel  was  retaken  by  the  Harlequin,  bound  from 
Jamaica  for  Liverpool,  but  as  she  had  five  feet  of  water  in  her 
hold,  and  was  in  a  bad  condition,  they  sunk  her,  the  pirates 
being  placed  in  irons  on  board  the  Harlequin  and  the  Nep- 
tune, and  carried  to  Liverpool. 

On  the  24th  of  January,  1783,  Mr.  Secretary  Townshend 
announced,  in  the  House  of  Commons,  that  preliminaries  of 
peace  had  been  signed  with  France,  Spain,  and  the  United 
States  of  America.  The  definite  treaty  of  peace  was 


300  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

published  in  the  Liverpool  papers  on  the  3Oth  of  the 
same  month.  "  The  Mercantile  World,"  says  Williamson's 
Advertiser  of  that  day,  "  is  in  a  hurry  and  bustle  unknown 
at  any  former  time.  The  merchants  are  endeavouring  to 
outstrip  each  other  in  the  race  of  traffic.  European  goods, 
and  particularly  the  produce  of  England,  being  greatly 
wanted  in  the  ports  of  America,  the  destination  of  many  of 
the  vessels  now  in  the  river  is  altered  from  the  West  India 
Islands  to  the  American  ports,  where  it  is  expected  the 
cargoes  will  sell  at  an  immense  profit." 

Thus  ended,  at  last,  to  the  joy  of  the  English  speaking 
peoples  throughout  the  world,  and  for  the  future  blessing 
of  mankind,  a  most  disastrous,  disgraceful,  unnatural, 
unnecessary,  and  expensive  war,  that  might  have  been 
averted  had  a  single  grain  of  common  sense  been  admitted 
into  the  councils  of  the  obstinate  old  King. 

"  Many  of  the  American  privateers/'  says  a  London  paper 
of  March  2oth,  1783,  "  have  been  cruising  all  the  war  without 
commissions,  and  others  have  been  frequently  suspected  of 
having  had  forged  ones  ;  there  is  therefore  every  reason  to 
apprehend  that  piracies  will  continue  for  some  time,  not- 
withstanding that  hostilities  are  over.  This  is  the  general 
opinion  among  the  captains  at  Lloyd's."  News  travelled 
slowly  in  those  days,  and  no  doubt  captures  were  made  in 
good  faith  on  both  sides  for  some  time  after  the  conclusion 
of  the  war,  especially  in  distant  waters.  The  slave  brig 
Fancy,  Captain  Greaves,  of  Liverpool,  was  taken  at  Cape 
Mount,  on  March  22nd,  1783,  (the  very  morning  she  sailed 
for  the  West  Indies,  with  a  cargo  of  390  negroes,  two  tons 
of  ivory,  and  a  quantity  of  rice),  by  a  French  50  gun  ship, 
and  carried  to  Cape  Fran9ois. 

On  the  4th  of  March,  1783,  the  Count  Belgioso,  Captain 
Pierce,  a  fine  new  ship,  lately  launched,  sailed  from  Liver- 
pool, for  the  East  Indies,  with  a  fair  wind  and  fine  weather; 
but  a  violent  storm  of  wind,  and  a  great  fall  of  snow  coming 


AMERICAN  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE.  301 

on,  she  was  lost  upon  the  Kish  Bank  three  days  after  leaving 
port,  and  all  on  board,  comprising  147  persons,  perished. 
She  was  said  to  be  one  of  the  richest  ships  that  ever  sailed 
from  Liverpool,  being  valued  at  ,£130,000.  She  had  100,000 
dollars  on  board,  besides  a  great  value  in  ginsang,  bale 
goods,  and  300  tons  of  lead. 

The  general  effect  of  the  American  war  of  independence 
on  the  position  of  Liverpool,  was  to  put  an  entire  stop  to  the 
commercial  progress  of  the  port,  during  seven  long  and 
disastrous  years.  The  foreign  trade  of  the  port,  which  had 
doubled  itself  between  the  accession  of  George  the  Third,  in 
1760,  and  the  commencement  of  hostilities,  in  1775,  declined 
in  all  its  branches,  from  the  beginning  of  the  struggle,  to  its 
close  in  1783.  The  customs  revenue  of  the  port,  which 
amounted  to  .£274,655  at  the  commencement  of  the  war,  had 
fallen  to  ,£188,830  in  1780,  the  sixth  year  of  the  contest. 
The  tonnage  declined  from  84,792  tons  to  79,450,  of  which  a 
large  part  consisted  of  privateers.  The  population  decreased 
from  35,600  to  34,107  ;  and  the  condition  of  the  inhabitants 
was  deteriorated  so  greatly  in  the  latter  years  of  the  war, 
that,  at  its  close,  not  less  than  10,000  of  the  poorer  class, 
were  supported  either  by  the  parish,  or  by  charitable 
donations.  "The  seven  years  of  the  first  American  war," 
as  Baines  truly  observes,  "were  the  seven  lean  years  of 
Liverpool,  and  the  only  seven  years  of  the  eighteenth 
century  during  which  the  port  did  not  increase  in  population 
and  wealth."  While  the  war  lasted  town  improvements  were 
mostly  suspended.  Beyond  the  occasional  bustle  of  numer- 
ous sales  by  auction  of  the  cargoes  of  prizes  taken  from  the 
enemy,  there  was  little  business  transacted  in  the  port. 
"The  manners  of  the  common  people  at  this  period,"  says 
Trotighton,  "made  a  retrogression  towards  barbarism,  rather 
than  a  progress  in  refinement  or  virtuous  habits.  This  was 
the  natural  consequence  of  that  spirit  of  enterprise  cherished 
by  the  proprietors  of  privateers  ;  for  successful  adventurers, 


302  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

upon  their  return  to  port,  spent  in  excess  what  they  had 
obtained  with  danger.  As  for  the  public  amusements,  the 
theatre  was  opened  every  summer, -and  the  people  were  also 
sometimes  gratified  by  the  occasional  visits  of  Breslau,  and 
other  jugglers,  whose  dexterity  disencumbered  them  of  their 
superfluous  cash."  One  remarkable  but  natural  effect  of 
the  war  was  to  destroy  for  a  time  the  popularity  of  Liverpool 
as  a  bathing  place,  but  on  the  return  of  peace,  there  was  a 
great  influx  of  visitors  from  the  interior,  whom  fear  of  the 
press-gangs  had  deterred  from  visiting  the  town  during  the 
war.  "For  the  last  week,"  says  the  Liverpool  Advertiser, 
"the  town  has  been  uncommonly  crowded  with  country 
people  from  the  vicinity  of  Rochdale,  Blackburn,  Manchester, 
etc.  It  is  computed  that  there  were  upwards  of  3000  of  them. 
They  came  to  bathe  and  drink  salt  water.  During  the  war, 
very  few  of  them  durst  come  down,  on  account  of  the 
warmth  of  the  impress  ;  and  it  is  therefore  supposed  that 
this  is  the  most  crowded  bathing  season  ever  known  here." 


303 


CHAPTER  V. 

LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS  AND  LETTER  OF  MARQUE  SHIPS 
DURING  THE  WARS  OF  THE  FRENCH  REVOLUTION. 

THE   ten  years  of  peace   which   succeeded   the   war   with 

America,  were  years  of  extraordinary  activity  and  prosperity, 

during  which  the  trade  of  Liverpool  increased  more  rapidly 

than  it  had  done  during  any  former  decade  in  its  history. 

The  population  in  1793  was  estimated  at  about  60,000.   The 

marvellous  progress  of  the  port  is  seen  from  the  fact  that,  in 

1716,  the  whole  tonnage  which  entered  and  cleared  from 

English    ports,    was   456,309   tons,   of  which    18,371    tons 

cleared  from  Liverpool  ;  in  1792,  the  whole  tonnage  cleared 

from  English  ports  was  1,565,154,  of  which  260,380  cleared 

from  Liverpool.     Thus,  in  a  period  of  77  years,  Liverpool's 

share  had  increased  from   the  twenty-fourth  to   the  sixth 

part  of  the  whole.    But  the  peace  and  plenty  which  England 

enjoyed  from   1783  to  the  end  of  1793,  were  doomed  to  be 

followed  by  years  of  war  and  scarcity.      On  the  2ist  of 

January,  1793,  Louis  XVI.,  deposed  King  of  France,  was 

guillotined   at    Paris.       In   common  with  other   European 

Courts  more  concerned  about  the  safety  of  Kings  than  the 

rights  of  the  people,  England,  under  the  administration  of 

Pitt — then  Liverpool's  favourite  statesman — alarmed  by  the 

progress   of    the    French    Revolution,    declared   war   with 

France.    This  war  continued  until  1815,  when  it  culminated 

in  the  Battle  of  Waterloo.   It  was  the  cause  of  untold  misery, 

the  destruction  of  an  appalling  number  of  human  lives,  and 

of  an  incalculable  amount  of  property  on  sea  and  land,  and 


304  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

cost  upwards  of  ^"831,000,000.  The  two  main  results  ot 
this  war  were  to  deliver  France  to  despotism  again,  and  to 
hinder  our  own  march  of  progress-  at  least  half  a  century. 
During  its  continuance  the  commerce  of  Liverpool  was 
exposed  to  all  the  dangers  and  chances  of  war,  with  only 
one  short  interval  of  rest  during  the  peace  of  Amiens. 

When  the  news  of  the  execution  of  Louis  XVI.  arrived 
in  Liverpool,  it  produced  a  general  feeling  of  pity,  horror, 
and  despondency.  The  colours  at  the  Exchange  and 
Custom-house  were  hoisted  half-mast  high,  and  the  shipping 
in  all  the  docks  exhibited  the  same  signs  of  mourning.  But 
sorrow  soon  gave  way  to  anger,  and  to  resolute  prepara- 
tions for  war  with  "  republican  and  regicide"  France.  At 
the  invitation  of  Mr.  Pitt,  a  deputation  of  merchants  pro- 
ceeded to  London,  to  consult  with  the  Government  on  the 
"  protection  necessary  to  be  afforded  to  the  shipping  of  the 
port."  For  the  purpose  of  depriving  the  enemy  of  naval 
and  military  supplies,  and  of  arming  the  British  fleet  more 
rapidly,  an  embargo  was  laid  on  vessels  taking  out  naval 
and  military  supplies.  Greenland  ships  proceeding  to  the 
northern  fisheries  were  ordered  to  be  well  armed  ;  and 
Letters  of  Marque  were  issued  against  French  ships  and 
commerce.  The  old  fighting  instinct  of  Liverpool  was 
revived  in  full  force,  but  it  does  not  appear  that  privateering 
was  carried  on  to  so  great  an  extent,  comparatively,  from 
the  port,  as  during  the  American  Revolutionary  War. 
Many  acts  of  bravery  were,  however,  performed,  and 
valuable  prizes  taken  by  the  officers  and  crews  of  Liverpool 
privateers  and  armed  merchant  ships  during  this  long  war. 

On  Wednesday  afternoon,  the  2Oth  of  March,  1793,  a 
most  distressing  sight  was  witnessed  by  a  number  of  people 
from  the  Pierhead  and  its  vicinity.  The  Pelican  privateer, 
of  20  guns  and  100  men,  having  that  day  been  launched, 
full  rigged,  with  all  her  guns  and  stores  on  board,  was 
cruising  to  and  fro  in  the  river,  with  a  moderate  breeze, 


WARS -OF  THE  FRENCH  REVOLUTION.          305 

according  to  custom  in  such  cases,  with  about  two  hundred 
persons  on  board,  including  the  shareholders  and  their 
friends,  and  women  and  children.  While  they  were  making 
merry,  and  enjoying  themselves  to  their  hearts'  content,  to 
the  strains  of  music,  the  ship,  on  being  put  about  opposite 
Seacombe,  suddenly  capsized,  filled  with  water  through  the 
lee-ports,  and  sunk  in  ten  minutes  with  all  on  board.  Seventy 
or  eighty  persons  were  drowned — accounts  vary  as  to  the 
number — and  the  rest  either  swam  ashore,  or  were  rescued 
by  boats.  Twenty-five  persons  were  saved  by  Mr.  John 
Starkey,  excise  surveyor,  who  went  from  the  Pierhead  in  his 
boat,  and  subsequently  received  the  Humane  Society's 
medal  for  his  activity.  Amongst  the  saved  was  James 
Creasey,  the  pilot  of  the  ship,  who  was  tried  at  the  Lancaster 
Assizes  for  manslaughter,  as  it  was  said  that  the  accident 
was  the  result  of  his  negligence.  He  was,  however, 
acquitted.  The  ship  was  never  raised,  and  the  top  of  her 
masts  stood  above  the  water  for  years  after  the  fatal  event. 
"  A  young  man,  who  was  saved  at  the  sinking  of  the  Pelican 
privateer,"  says  the  Naval  Chronicle  (which  however  gives 
the  date  as  1783,  instead  of  1793),  "had  the  singular 
affliction  of  losing  his  mother,  sister,  wife,  and  two  children, 
who  had  come  on  board  to  take  a  long,  a  last  farewell.  The 
grief  of  a  son,  a  brother,  a  husband,  and  a  parent,  on  being 
thus  suddenly  deprived  of  all  his  dearest  relatives,  may  more 
easily  be  conceived  than  described." 

On  the  5th  of  April,  1793,  the  first  French  prize  taken  by 
any  vessel  belonging  to  the  port  of  Liverpool,  since  the 
commencement  of  hostilities,  was  brought  in  by  the  ship 
Harriet  (Letter  of  Marque),  Captain  Caitcheon,  belonging  to 
Mr.  Thomas  Barton.  She  was  a  fine  Bermuda-built  brig, 
raised  upon  a  cedar  frame,  and  copper  bottomed,  about  200 
tons  burthen,  called  L'Agreable,  laden  with  coffee,  sugar, 
indigo,  and  cotton,  and  was  taken  on  her  voyage  from 

Port-au-Prince  to  Bordeaux.     The  value  of  ship  and  cargo 
u 


306  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

was  variously  estimated  at  from  ,£6,000  to  ;£  10,000.  The 
French  manifests  seldom  expressed  the  quantity  of  goods 
contained  in  the  vessel.  The  people  on  board  the  prize 
stated  that  they  sailed  from  Port-au-Prince,  with  31  more 
French  vessels; — "good  information  this  for  our  brave  tars," 
remarks  the  Advertiser,  "as  we  hope,  and  are  led  to  believe, 
that  few  of  them  will  reach  their  destined  port."  Both  the 
ship  and  cargo  were  sold  by  auction  at  Messrs.  Ewart  & 
Rutson's  office,  in  Exchange  Alley.  On  her  next  voyage, 
the  Harriet  chased  a  French  Guineaman  into  Martinique, 
but  being  fired  upon  by  the  fort,  was  obliged  to  desist.  "The 
ship  Harriet,  belonging  to  Thomas  Barton,  Esq.,"  says  the 
paper  of  January  8th,  1798,  "has  made  33  voyages  from 
hence  to  Barbadoes  and  back  in  the  last  ten  years  and 
three  months  ;  has  taken  and  retaken  some  vessels,  and 
rescued  others,  and  has  been  lengthened  in  the  time — an 
instance  of  commercial  expedition,  we  believe,  scarcely  to 
be  paralleled." 

On  the  28th  of  March,  1793,  the  Ann,  Captain  Worth- 
ington,  belonging  to  Messrs.  Boates  and  Seaman,  captured 
the  brig  La  Porkin,  a  privateer  of  10  guns  and  79  men, 
out  three  days  from  Nantz,  and  the  property  of  Messrs. 
Margerin,  Reneau,  &  Co.,  of  that  port. 

On  the  6th  of  April,  1793,  the  Thomas  privateer,  Captain 
Huston,  took  the  French  ship  La  Expeditif,  from  Charleston 
to  Havre,  with  rice,  indigo,  deerskins,  etc.,  valued  at  about 
^"10,000.  On  the  1 5th  of  the  same  month,  the  Princess 
Elizabeth  privateer,  Captain  Beasley,  took  the  French  ship 
Les  Sons  Freres,  about  400  tons,  from  Port-au-Prince  for 
Bordeaux,  laden  with  coffee,  indigo,  and  sugar  ;  and 
towards  the  close  of  the  year,  she  brought  into  the  Mersey 
the  Amsterdam  Packet,  from  New  York  to  Havre,  with  a 
cargo  of  tobacco,  coffee,  sugar,  cotton,  and  pearl-ashes. 

On  the  20th  of  May,  1793,  the  brig  Victoire  from 
Guadaloupe  for  Havre,  laden  with  125  hogsheads  of  sugar, 


WARS  OF  THE  FRENCH  REVOLUTION.          307 

80  casks  of  coffee,  and  18  bags  of  cotton,  was  brought  in 
a  prize  by  the  Earl  of  Derby  privateer,  Captain  Perrin. 

The  Prince  of  Wales  privateer,  Captain  Thompson,  after 
being  out  three  weeks,  arrived  at  Hoylake  on  the  i4th  of 
April,  1793,  bringing  in  with  her  the  French  ship  Le 
Federatif,*  from  St.  Domingo  for  Bordeaux,  which  she  had 
captured  on  April  5th,  in  latitude  46°.  Her  cargo  was 
valued  at  about  ,£32,000. 

On  the  8th  of  October,  the  Prince  of  Wales  captured  the 
brig  Maryland,  from  Baltimore  to  Bordeaux,  with  135 
hogsheads,  78  tierces,  39  barrels,  and  604  bags  of  coffee,  9 
hogsheads  of  sugar,  and  5,000  hogsheads'  staves,  and  sent 
her  for  Montserrat.  In  December,  she  recaptured,  and 
brought  into  the  Mersey,  the  Best,  from  Lancaster  for  the 
West  Indies,  which  had  been  taken  by  a  French  man-of- 
war.  Early  in  1794,  the  Prince  of  Wales  captured  and 
brought  in  the  Flugan,  of  Malmo,  from  Bordeaux  for  St. 
Domingo,  laden  with  wine,  brandy,  and  bale  goods. 

The  Gipsey,  Captain  Tobin,  captured  at  Loango,  on  the 
3Dth  of  May,  1793,  a  French  ship,  Le  Hirondelle,  having  on 
board  122  slaves  and  8  guns,  which  prize  was  sent  to 
Mayomba,  where  she  captured  a  French  schooner,  Le 
Pour-voyeur,  with  51  slaves,  5oolbs.  of  ivory,  and  a  cargo  of 
70  slaves  more.  This  prize  was  given  up  to  the  prisoners 
after  taking  out  the  cargo.  On  the  3rd  of  June,  in  company 
with  the  Isabella,  of  Bristol,  and  the  Lord  Charlemont, 
Captain  Finder,  of  Liverpool,  the  Gipsey  captured,  at 
Malimba,  a  French  ship,  Le  Emilie,  with  241  slaves,  and 
sent  her  to  Grenada.  Le  Hirondelle  was  retaken  by  the 
French  and  carried  to  St.  Lucia.  Early  in  1794,  on  the 

*  A  French  officer,  M.  Thiballier,  was  coming  home  a  prisoner  in  the  Le 
Federatif  when  she  was  captured.  He  was  Lieut. -Col.  of  the  4th  Regiment  of 
Provence,  and  had  been  made  Colonel  in  St.  Domingo,  and  Governor  of  the  fourth 
part  of  the  Island.  Being  an  intimate  friend  of  M.  Blanchelande,  the  Governor, 
he  was  suspected  of  supplying  the  rebellious  negroes  with  arms,  etc.,  which 
.so  enraged  the  Democrats  that  they  caused  him  to  be  seized  and  sent  to  France 
for  trial. 


308  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

passage  from  Jamaica  to  Liverpool,  the  Gipsey  took  an 
American  vessel  with  a  cargo  of  provisions  for  Martinico, 
and  sent  her  to  Jamaica. 

On  the  i3th  of  April,  1793,  the  cutter  Dudgeon  privateer, 
Captain  Gullin,  took  the  French  brig  St.  Roman,  from 
Charleston  for  St.  Valery,  with  730  barrels  of  rice,  2  hogs- 
heads of  tobacco,  and  105  cow-skins,  valued  at  about  ,£5,000; 
and  on  the  i7th  of  the  same  month,  she  captured  a  French 
snow,  from  Cayenne  for  Havre,  laden  with  sugar,  coffee, 
cotton,  and  indigo,  valued  at  ^"15,000.  On  May  4th,  the 
Dudgeon  recaptured,  and  sent  into  Milford,  the  brig  Argyle, 
of  Greenock;  and  on  the  gth  of  June,  she  brought  into  the 
Mersey  a  Spanish  brig,  from  Caracas  for  Spain,  laden  with 
cocoa,  indigo,  and  hides.  In  company  with  the  Jenny 
privateer,  the  Dudgeon  made  a  prize  of  L'Esperance,  a 
French  vessel,  from  Lisbon  for  France,  which  was  sent 
North  about,  and  arrived  in  Liverpool  on  June  igth.  On 
the  3rd  of  February,  1794,  we  read  that  the  Dudgeon,  Captain 
Egerton,  returned  from  a  cruise,  after  throwing  her  guns 
overboard  and  receiving  other  damage  at  anchor  in  a  gale 
at  the  N.W.  Buoy.  In  March,  the  Dudgeon  recaptured  the 
Danish  galiot  Unge  Simon,  from  Lisbon  to  St.  Petersburgh, 
with  sugar,  oranges,  figs,  and  almonds.  A  few  weeks  later, 
the  Dudgeon  and  the  Ann  and  Jane,  a  ship  of  500  tons, 
from  Liverpool,  were  carried  into  Brest.  The  Dudgeon  was 
afterwards  fitted  out  by  the  French  as  a  National  vessel,  and 
sent  to  sea  to  prey  on  British  commerce,  but  in  September, 
1794,  she  was  captured  and  carried  into  Falmouth. 

In  June,  1793,  the  Ann  privateer,  Captain  Flanagan, 
recaptured  the  ship  Harriet,  from  Honduras  for  London, 
with  wood,  etc.,  and  took  an  outward  bound  vessel,  from 
Old  France  to  the  West  Indies,  laden  with  bale  goods, 
wine,  etc.  The  George  W.  Lutimdge,  from  Baltimore  for 
Havre,  with  flour,  another  prize  to  the  Ann,  was  retaken 
by  two  French  privateers,  and  again  captured  by  the  Mary, 


WARS  OF  THE  FRENCH  REVOLUTION.  309 

of  Liverpool,  Captain  Pince,  arriving  safe  in  the  Mersey  on 
July  ist.  The  Frenchmen  on  board  the  prize  informed 
Captain  Pince  that  the  same  privateers  had  retaken  another 
prize  of  the  Ann.  On  the  7th  of  August,  a  sloop,  from 
Bayonne,  bound  to  Brest,  with  resin,  arrived ;  and  on  the 
1 5th  of  October,  the  L  Augustine,  from  Guadaloupe  to 
Havre,  with  a  cargo  of  sugar,  coffee,  and  cotton,  both 
prizes  to  the  Mary,  Captain  Pince. 

The  Mary,  Captain  Thompson,  took  the  Le  National 
Pavilion,  about  500  tons  burthen,  from  Guadaloupe  to 
France,  and  recaptured  the  brig  Diligent,  from  Jersey  for 
Quebec,  with  cordage,  etc.,  and  the  Franklin,  loaded  with 
provisions,  from  Dublin  for  Cadiz.  The  latter  had  been 
twice  recaptured  before  the  Mary  fell  in  with  her.  Early 
in  1795,  the  Mary,  Captain  Thompson,  was  captured  on 
her  passage  from  Liverpool  to  Leghorn,  and  carried  into 
Brest. 

The  Mary,  Captain  Mollineux,  took  the  French  lugger 
privateer  La  Carnagmolle,  and  recaptured  an  East  India 
brig,  which  was  lost  near  Baltimore  in  Ireland. 

The  Favourite,  Captain  Bradley,  recaptured  from  the 
French,  a  very  fine  brig  belonging  to  Leith,  and  bound  to 
Cadiz,  with  glass  bottles  and  iron  hoops;  and,  in  company 
with  the  Bess  privateer,  of  Bristol,  recaptured  a  Swedish 
brig,  from  Barcelona  for  Ostend,  laden  with  283  pipes  of 
brandy.  On  the  igth  of  January,  1794,  the  Favourite 
arrived  at  St.  Eustatia,  having  taken  ten  prizes  ;  three  she 
sent  to  Montserrat,  and  seven  to  St.  Christophers.  In 
1798,  on  her  passage  from  Demerara  to  Liverpool,  the 
Favourite  was  taken  by  the  Bougainville  French  privateer, 
and  carried  into  L'Orient  after  an  action  of  three  hours,  in 
which  one  man  was  killed,  and  the  captain  and  several  men 
wounded. 

'  The   Loyal  Ann  chased  a   French   West   Indiaman   on 
shore    near    Bordeaux,   and   took   a   fine   new   sloop,  from 


310  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

New  York  for  Havre,  laden  with  sugar,  cotton,  and  pot- 
ashes. 

The  Brothers,  of  Liverpool,  recaptured  the  ship  Com- 
munity, with  wine,  oil,  and  cocoa,  from  Cadiz  to  Ferrol,  which 
arrived  in  the  Mersey  on  June  3Oth,  1793;  as  did  also  the 
ship  Three  Brothers,  of  Dartmouth,  laden  with  stock  fish, 
from  North  Bergen  for  Venice,  recaptured  by  the  Dispatch 
privateer. 

The  Brothers,  Captain  Fleming  (Letter  of  Marque),  cap- 
tured the  Hebe,  from  the  Southern  Fishery  to  France,  with 
130  tons  of  oil,  which  arrived  in  Liverpool  in  October,  1793. 

On  the  4th  of  May,  1793,  the  Pilgrim  (Letter  of  Marque), 
Captain  Hutchinson,  fell  in  with  the  La  Liberte,  French 
East  Indiaman,  from  Bombay  for  L'Orient,  a  very  fine  ship, 
Danish  built,  about  800  tons  burthen,  carrying  12  six- 
pounders,  and  60  men.  An  obstinate  engagement  took 
place,  on  the  second  evening  of  which  the  French  captain 
was  killed,  and  on  the  following  morning  his  ship  struck 
to  the  Pilgrim,  and  was  carried  to  Barbadoes,  where  she 
arrived  on  the  29th  of  May.  The  ship  having  been  three 
years  in  the  country,  her  cargo  turned  out  a  most  valuable 
one,  realizing  ,£190,000.*  We  have  already  seen  two 
Liverpool  estates — the  "St.  Domingo,"  and  "  Carnatic- 
hall  " — named  in  grateful  commemoration  of  fortune's 
favours  granted  to  privateers,  and  the  present  capture  must 
be  added  to  the  list.  A  certain  shoemaker,  who  flourished 
when  a  comparatively  small  portion  of  Everton  had  been 
brought  under  cultivation,  enclosed  a  considerable  tract  of 


*The  cargo,  as  enumerated  in  the  Liverpool  paper,  consisted  of  the  following: — • 
138,557  pieces  yellow  and  white  Nankeens,  about  150  hogsheads  of  sugar,  71  chests 
of  china  ware,  18  chests  mother  of  pearl,  139  chesis  cinnamon,  183  bales  of  Surat 
goods,  2  chests  Nankeen  silks,  I  chest  cotton  woollen  stuff.  4  bales  niccanees,  17 
bales  casileys,  I  bale  lapse],  I  bale  muslin,  5OOcardels  of  pepper,  500  chests  tea, 
2O  cases  images,  2  bales  coral,  2  chests  ?ilk  manufactory,  I  case  Nankeen  calico,  I 
chest  painters'  paper,  108  sacks  Malabar  pepper,  3  bales  white  linen,  90  bales 
cotton,  13  bales  Bejuta  pants  of  Surat,  I  bale  Bengal  goods,  I  bale  embroidered 
waistcoats,  I  parcel  medical  roots,  6  parcels  sugar-candy,  I  parcel  Fontanagu  lacca. 


WA  RS  OF  THE  FRENCH  RE  VOL  UTION.  3 1 1 

land  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Sleeper's  Hill,  and  modestly 
called  his  estate  "Cobbler's  Close."  This  property  was 
bought  and  re-named  "Pilgrim,"  by  Mr.  Barton,  who,  in 
conjunction  with  Mr.  Thomas  Birch,  had  an  interest  in  the 
fortunate  "Letter  of  Marque"  of  that  name.  The  Pilgrim 
property  was  afterwards  bought  by  Mr.  Atherton,  who  sold 
it  to  Mr.  Woodhouse,  the  agent  for  Lord  Nelson's  Bronte 
estate  in  Sicily,  and  that  gentleman  re-named  the  property 
Bronte,  a  name  it  retained  until  it  was  invaded  by  enterpris- 
ing builders.  The  Bronte  and  the  St.  Domingo  properties 
adjoined  each  other,  and  it  is  a  rather  curious  circumstance 
that  the  two  valuable  estates  should  have  been  the  products 
of  two  rich  privateering  adventures. 

Many  vessels  were  fitted  out  of  the  American  ports,  under 
French  colours,  manned  chiefly  with  Americans,  and  they 
captured  many  prizes.  Captain  Morgan,  of  the  Jean,  from 
Jamaica  for  Liverpool,  put  into  Philadelphia  to  refit,  having 
been  chased  a  whole  day  by  the  LI  Ambuscade  frigate, 
which  cruised  off  the  Hook,  speaking  most  vessels  that 
passed  in  or  out.  Captain  James,  of  the  Halifax  Packet, 
applied  to  the  Governor  and  Council  to  prevent  the  frigate 
sailing  immediately  after  him,  but  they  would  not  comply 
with  his  request.  He  then,  through  a  friend,  applied  to  the 
French  Consul,  who  politely  gave  him  four  days'  start  of  the 
LI  A  mbuscade. 

A  gentleman  in  Philadelphia,  writing  to  a  merchant  in 
Liverpool,  on  May  i3th,  1793,  says:— 

"  What  can  all  your  frigates,  of  which  we  are  told  you  have 
such  an  immense  number  in  commission,  be  about,  to  permit 
the  French  frigate,  L' Ambuscade,  Citizen  Bompard,  commander, 
to  insult  your  flag,  take  your  merchantmen,  and  "ride  triumph- 
ant o'er  the  western  waves."  She  is  now  abreast  of  our  city, 
and  has  taken  five  or  six  prizes  since  her  departure  from  France, 
two  of  which  are  at  present  alongside  of  her,  the  Little  Sarah, 
of  Kingston,  Capt.  Laury,  built  in  Liverpool,  taken  ten  leagues 


312  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

at  sea,  and  the  Grange,  Hutchinson,  of  your  port  also.  This 
vessel  it  is  expected  will  be  delivered  up,  as  she  was  taken  at 
anchor  with  the  pilot  on  board,  ten  or  twelve  miles  up  the 
Capes,  and  we  were  two  days  ago  informed  that  the  President, 
minister  of  state,  ot  war,  and  of  the  treasury,  and  the  attorney- 
general,  have  given  it  as  their  unanimous  opinion  that  she  was 
illegally  taken,  and  therefore  no  prize,  she  being  within  the 
jurisdiction  of  the  United  States,  and  of  course,  under  the 
protection  of  a  neutral  country.  The  business,  however,  will 
not  be  determined  until  the  arrival  of  the  French  Minister,  M. 
or  rather  Citizen  Genet,  who  is  daily  expected  from  Charleston, 
where  he  was  landed  by  the  above  frigate.  The  ship  William, 
of  Glasgow,  Capt.  Nageto,  is  just  sent  up  as  a  prize  to  a  little 
privateer  of  six  guns." 

The  Grange  was  eventually  given  up,  and  the  captain 
and  seamen  all  liberated. 

The  French  privateers  from  Martinico,  Guadaloupe,  and 
St.  Lucia,  captured,  in  a  short  time,  70  sail  of  British,  Dutch, 
and  Spanish  merchant  vessels,  and  carried  them  into  those 
islands. 

The  ship  Swift,  Captain  Roper,  was  taken  on  the  26th  of 
May,  by  a  French  privateer,  who  took  out  of  her  thirty-three 
male  slaves,  and  224  elephant  teeth.  They  returned  to 
Captain  Roper  his  ship,  and  the  remainder  of  his  cargo,  for 
a  ransom  of  ^1000  sterling,  and  took  the  second  mate  as  a 
hostage  for  the  same. 

Captain  Heavysides  arrived  from  Philadelphia,  and 
reported  that  Congress  were  exerting  themselves  to  hinder 
vessels,  fitted  out  as  privateers,  sailing  from  any  of  the 
American  ports. 

The  King  Grey,  Captain  Cash,  arrived  at  Jamaica,  from 
Africa,  having  been  captured  on  the  passage  by  a  French 
privateer,  and  retaken  by  his  Majesty's  frigate  Hycena,  who 
ran  the  privateer  on  shore  at  Hispaniola,  where  Captain 
Cash  and  his  people  released  themselves  from  their  irons, 


WARS  OF  THE  FRENCH  REVOLUTION.  313 

and,  getting  possession  of  the  Frenchman's  boat,  got  on 
board  the  frigate. 

Captain  Raphel,  of  the  Polly,  arrived  at  Jamaica,  from 
Liverpool,  reported  that  about  fifty  leagues  to  the  westward 
of  Madeira,  he  met  with  a  French  brig  privateer,  without  her 
main  mast.  On  boarding  her,  he  was  informed  she  had 
been  dismasted,  six  days  before,  by  the  Christopher,  Captain 
Molyneux,  of  Liverpool,  who,  after  she  had  struck  her 
colours,  sent  on  board  and  dismantled  her  of  her  guns, 
powder,  shot,  and  all  kinds  of  arms,  took  out  what  stores 
(except  provisions)  they  stood  in  need  of,  and  proceeded  on 
his  voyage.  The  privateer  had  75  men  on  board,  and  was 
only  six  weeks  off  the  stocks.  The  Christopher  afterwards 
captured  a  valuable  prize  at  Angola. 

The  Robust,  Captain  Forrest,  recaptured  the  Little  Joe, 
Captain  Jones,  and  the  Echo,  Captain  Kelly  (the  latter  with 
1 20  negroes  on  board),  two  Liverpool  slavers,  which  had 
been  taken  on  the  windward  coast  of  Africa  by  the  Liberty, 
of  Bordeaux,  which  also  took  the  Union,  Captain  Farrington, 
the  Mercury,  Captain  Hewitt,  the  Hazard,  Captain  Rigby, 
and  the  Prosperity,  Captain  Kelsall,  all  engaged  in  the 
man  traffic.  The  Mercury  was  retaken  by  the  Sea/lower 
cutter,  and  sold  to  Captain  Hewitt,  who,  by  the  way,  lived 
in  Murray-street,  Williamson-square,  "adjoining  the  rope 
walk,"  when  he  was  not  prosecuting  his  humane  mission 
in  Africa,  etc.  The  Prosperity  was  also  retaken  by  the 
Andromache  frigate,  and  carried  into  Barbadoes.  The 
Robust  had  the  good  fortune  to  capture  a  French  ship,  with 
about  200  slaves,  at  Cape  Mount,  and  in  November,  1793, 
we  read  that  she  took,  on  the  coast,  a  large  French  ship, 
called  Le  Patriote  Soldat,  with  260  slaves  and  a  cargo  of 
goods,  and  carried  the  prize  to  Dominica. 

The  slave  ship  Minerva,  late  Captain  Moore,  arrived  at 
Jamaica  from  Africa,  with  a  cargo  of  prime  negroes,  "with- 
out burying  either  black  or  white,  the  master  excepted  " — a 


314  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

feat  by  no  means  of  common  occurrence.  The  Minerva 
privateer,  Captain  Williams,  recaptured  a  Swedish  vessel, 
and  took  the  Ann  and  Margaret,  from  Riga,  with  deals. 

The  Lord  Stanley,  Captain  Farquhar,  captured  the  Julie 
Chere,  from  Guadaloupe  for  Bordeaux,  with  sugar,  coffee, 
cotton,  etc. 

A  letter  from  Dominica,  to  a  merchant  in  Liverpool,  dated 
May  6th,  1793,  mentioned  that  the  sloop  Amity,  Captain 
Spellin,  of  6  guns  and  34  men,  had  brought  in  there  the 
ship  Bon  Menage,  pierced  for  22  guns  (only  six  mounted), 
and  38  men,  belonging  to  St.  Malo.  She  had  been  thirty- 
three  months  on  a  voyage  to  the  East  Indies,  and  after- 
wards called  at  Malimba  for  slaves,  674  of  whom  she  had 
on  board.  Her  hold  was  full  of  trunks  and  bales  of  India 
goods,  brandy,  gold  dust,  etc.,  supposed  to  be  worth 
,£  i  oo,  ooo. 

On  the  9th  of  June,  1793,  Captain  S.  Bower,  of  the  Active 
privateer,  captured  by  the  French,  wrote  as  follows,  from 
Morlaix,  to  his  owners  in  Liverpool  :— 

"It  is  with  concern  I  inform  you  of  our  beingf  captured  on 
the  2ist  ult. ,  by  the  French  frigate  Semillante,  of  44  guns  and 
300  men,  who  took  me  on  board.  She  also  captured,  the  next 
day,  a  brig-  privateer  (the  Betsey,  of  Guernsey),  of  10  guns  and 
55  men.  On  the  27th,  she  fell  in  with  an  English  frigate,  whom 
she  engaged  two  hours,  had  twenty  men  killed  and  forty 
wounded  :  Amongst  the  former  was  the  captain,  first  lieutenant, 
and  a  petty  officer,  when  he  bore  away,  having  five  feet  water 
in  her  hold,  and  was  chased  by  the  English  frigate,  whose 
main-top  giving  way,  the  Frenchman  (I  am  sorry  to  say  it) 
escaped,  for  could  the  frigate  have  come  up  with  her  again,  she 
would  have  struck  immediately.  She  proceeded  directly  for 
Brest,  where  we  arrived  the  2nd  of  June,  and  where  I  have 
been  in  prison  until  yesterday,  when  I  was  marched  for  Dinant, 
with  112  more  English  prisoners,  and  this  day  arrived  at 
Morlaix  on  our  road  thither.  We  have  been  just  now  joined  by 


WARS  OF  THE  FRENCH  REVOLUTION.  315 

two  men  belonging  to  the  Allanson,  Capt.  Byrne,  private  ship 
of  war,  taken  in  a  prize  captured  by  that  vessel." 
The  Active  was  retaken,  and  carried  into  Guernsey. 
The  Golden  Age,  Captain  Fayrer,  from  Jamaica  to  Liver- 
pool, was  taken  by  the  French  frigate  Citoyen,  of  36  guns, 
which  two  days  later  captured  the  Courier,  Captain  Rigby, 
also  from  Jamaica  to  Liverpool,  and,  after  plundering  her, 
ransomed  her  to  the  captain  for  ^300.      The  lieutenant  of 
the    Citoyen  was  an   American,  and   27  of  her  crew  were 
English,  but  called  themselves  Americans.     The   Citoyen 
had  lost  her  captain  and  63  men  in  an  engagement  with  an 
English  frigate,  all  of  whom  had  been  killed  outright  or 
died  of  their  wounds. 

The  William,  of  Liverpool,  Captain  Ward,  on  her 
passage  from  Virginia,  in  company  with  the  Hector,  of 
London,  the  Fanny,  of  Greenock,  and  the  Joseph,  of 
Appledore,  fell  in  with  a  schooner  privateer,  fitted  out  in 
America,  under  French  colours.  A  desperate  engagement 
ensued,  which  lasted  three  hours,  resulting  in  the  capture 
of  the  Joseph ;  the  rest  escaped.  The  privateer  was  twice 
beaten  off,  but  in  the  third  charge,  one  of  the  guns  of  the 
Joseph  exploded,  by  which  unfortunate  accident  Captain 
Prance  lost  both  his  hands,  and  was  obliged  to  strike  his 
colours.  He  also  received  a  wound  in  the  thigh,  and  had 
one  of  his  eyes  much  injured  ;  his  recovery  was  despaired 
of.  The  mate  also  was  wounded.  Only  three  persons 
were  wounded  on  board  the  privateer.  The  William 
arrived  in  Liverpool  on  the  3rd  of  July,  1793. 

By  the  ist  of  July,  1793,  no  less  than  sixty-seven  Liver- 
pool privateers  were  armed  and  manned,  and  were  either 
at  sea  or  preparing  to  sail.  Great  numbers  of  privateers 
were  fitted  out  afterwards,  and  an  extraordinary  number  of 
prizes  was  taken.  The  French  were  too  much  distracted 
by  internal  dissentions,  and  attacks  from  abroad,  to  carry  on 
this  mode  of  warfare  with  any  success.  In  three  or  four 


316  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

years  their  commerce  was  swept  from  the  ocean  ;  whilst, 
from  the  commencement  of  the  war,  the  English  commerce 
was  carried  on  in  tolerable  safety,  under  the  protection  of 
ships  of  war.     The  number  of  British  vessels  employed  in 
commerce  at  this  period  was  said  to  be  23,600. 

The  Savannah,  Captain  Wrigglesworth,  recaptured  a 
Dutch  ship,  from  Cadiz  for  Amsterdam,  laden  with  250 
lasts  of  bay  salt. 

On  July  loth,  1793,  the  Tarleton,  Captain  Gilbody,  from 
Liverpool,  in  company  with  the  Eliza,  Captain  Cannell,  for 
Africa,  took  the  Le  Guerrier,  a  brig  privateer,  of  8  guns  and 
72  men,  belonging  to  Bayonne. 

On  the  i8th  of  June,  1793,  the  Fancy,  Captain  Robinson, 
recaptured  the  brig  Margaret,  belonging  to  Leith,  bound 
from  Alicant  to  Dublin,  laden  with  456  bales  of  barilla,  47 
pipes  and  4  casks  of  wine,  about  a  ton  of  saffron,  and  7,000 
reeds.  Some  months  later,  on  her  passage  to  Jamaica,  the 
Fancy  took,  and  sent  into  Kingston,  a  brig  laden  with  700 
barrels  of  flour.  A  few  days  after,  the  Fancy  was  attacked 
by  a  French  privateer,  of  16  guns  and  upwards  of  100  men. 
The  engagement  lasted  five  hours  and-a-half,  the  French- 
man sheering  off,  leaving  the \  Fancy  much  shattered  in  her 
sails,  rigging,  etc. 

The  Union  privateer,  Captain  Nicholson,  took  a  Swedish 
vessel,  laden  with  brandy,  from  Barcelona  for  Calais. 

The  Colonel  Gascoyne  and  Margaret,  privateers,  captured 
The  Sisters,  from  New  York  for  Havre,  laden  with  coffee, 
indigo,  etc. 

The  Duke  of  Leeds,  Captain  Purvis,  took  a  Danish  vessel, 
from  Guadaloupe,  laden  with  sugar,  coffee,  and  cotton,  and 
carried  her  into  St.  Kitts.  The  Duke  was  captured  early  in 
1794,  on  the  passage  home  from  the  West  Indies. 

The  Philip  Stephens  privateer  brought  into  the  Mersey,  in 
September,  1793,  the  ship  Sarah,  one  of  the  Jamaica  fleet, 
which  she  had  retaken  from  the  French. 


WA  RS  OF  THE  FRENCH  RE  VOL  UTION.  3 1 7 

The  Oporto,  Captain  Hamilton,  captured  an  American 
ship  called  the  Birmingham,  laden  with  sugar,  coffee,  and 
cocoa,  from  Baltimore  for  Amsterdam,  which  arrived  in  the 
Mersey  on  September  29th,  1793.  In  March,  1794,  the 
Oporto  recaptured  a  ship  of  400  tons,  with  salt,  from 
Alicant,  which  had  been  taken  by  the  Tribune  French  frigate. 

The  Alert,  Captain  Hollywood,  captured  on  the  coast 
of  Africa,  a  ship  of  about  500  tons  burthen,  from  Bordeaux, 
with  50  slaves,  and  a  cargo  of  goods  on  board ;  also  a  sloop 
with  50  slaves,  and  a  schooner  with  40  slaves. 

The  Mercury,  Captain  Mellanby,  on  his  passage  to  the 
West  Indies  and  Virginia,  was  attacked  by  two  small 
privateers,  who  came  alongside  and  fired  into  him,  which 
he  returned  with  a  broadside  that  caused  them  to  sheer  off, 
and  make  the  best  of  their  way  from  him.  The  Mercury, 
on  her  passage  home  from  Virginia  to  Liverpool,  was 
wrecked  near  the  Orme's  Head,  and  the  captain,  with  fifteen 
of  the  crew,  perished  ;  ten  hands  were  saved. 

The  Hope  privateer,  Captain  Hall,  recaptured  La  Mahon, 
a  Spanish  brig,  from  La  Guira  for  Cadiz,  laden  with  500 
bales  of  tobacco,  about  700  quintals  of  cocoa,  coffee,  indigo, 
and  hides.  The  Hope,  in  company  with  the  Thought,  of 
London,  also  recaptured  the  Neptune,  from  Dominica,  and 
took  an  American  ship,  bound  to  France,  with  a  cargo  of 
sugar,  coffee,  indigo,  and  cotton,  and  a  number  of  French 
passengers  on  board.  On  the  5th  of  September,  1793,  the 
Hope  was  taken,  in  latitude  48°,  by  two  luggers,  one  of  them, 
the  Hook,  of  20  guns  and  125  men,  formerly  an  English 
revenue  vessel.  The  Hook  came  up  with  the  Hope  (which 
only  carried  12  guns  and  44  men)  about  seven  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  and  fired  one  gun,  which  Captain  Hall  answered 
with  a  broadside.  The  lugger  then  fired  two  guns,  and 
bore  away.  The  Hope  gave  her  a  second  broadside,  when 
the  other  lugger  came  up,  and  the  Hope  engaged  her  for  an 
hour;  but,  after  having  the  carpenter,  boatswain's  mate,  and 


318  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

a.  seaman  killed,  the  first  and  fourth  lieutenants  with  six 
men  wounded,  Captain  Hall  was  forced  to  strike. 

The  Nereus  (Letter  of  Marque),  of  16  guns,  Captain 
M'lver,  on  her  passage  from  Liverpool  to  New  York,  re- 
captured a  Spanish  brig,  from  the  Havannah,  laden  with 
850  boxes  of  fine  sugar,  beeswax,  honey,  etc.  This  vessel, 
when  retaken,  was  in  tow  of  a  French  privateer,  of  16  guns, 
which  the  Nereus  beat  off.  The  privateer  had  unfortunately 
taken  50,000  dollars  out  of  the  prize  before  the  Nereus  fell 
in  with  her.  On  the  I2th  of  July,  1793,  another  prize  taken 
by  the  Nereus,  arrived  in  the  Mersey— the  brig  Two  Friends, 
with  oil,  from  the  fishery  at  Falkland  Islands,  for  Dunkirk; 
and  on  July  iyth,  the  Joseph  came  in  (probably  the  Spanish 
brig  before  mentioned). 

In  August,  1793,  Mr.  Asburner,  agent  at  Barbadoes  for 
Mr.  James  Kenyon,  of  Liverpool,  was  captured  on  the 
passage  to  Dominica,  by  the  Sans  Culotte  privateer,  and 
carried  into  Martinique.  The  Frenchmen  treated  him 
"exceeding  ill,  taking  everything  from  him."  He  was 
confined  with  the  common  sailors  in  the  prison  ship,  under 
Fort  Republique  ;  and  what  must  have  intensified  his 
humiliation,  although  it  savoured  of  poetic  justice,  was  the 
fact  that  the  commander-in-chief  at  that  place  was  "a  mulatto 
man." 

On  the  24th  of  September,  1793,  the  Olive,  of  Liverpool, 
Captain  Pennant,  was  taken  in  lat.  45°.,  long.  28°.,  by  the 
La  Felicite,  French  frigate,  of  40  guns. 

"The  French  captain,"  says  one  of  the  officers  of  the  Olive, 
writing1  from  Brest,  "behaved  in  a  most  villainous  manner, 
sheering  up  alongside  and  pouring  nine  of  his  heavy  guns  right 
into  us  before  he  hailed,  which  killed  one  man  and  wounded 
another.  We  found  it  impossible  to  get  away  from  her,  she 
sailed  so  much  faster  than  us.  They  boarded  and  stripped  us 
of  every  article  but  the  clothes  on  our  backs,  and  in  that  state 
we  were  landed  at  Brest,  the  5th  inst.,  and  marched  to  a 


WARS  OF  THE  FRENCH  REVOLUTION.  319 

hospital  five  miles  in  the  country.       In  two  days  we  are  to 
march  to  Dinan  Castle,  80  leagues  from  this  place.    The  Lydia, 
Captain  Crow,  was  taken  on  the  26th  ult.  by  the  same  frig-ate. 
Captain  Crow  is  sick  in  the  hospital,  having-  his  arm  dislocated." 
One  Friday  evening,    in   October,    1793,  an  affray  took 
place  at  the  bottom  of  Redcross  Street,  between  Mr.  Felix 
M'llroy,  master  of  the  sloop  Ann,  of  Newry,  and  some  of 
the  press-gang-  belonging  to  a  tender  lying  in  the  river,  one 
of  whom  drew  a  pistol  and  shot  the  captain  dead  upon  the 
spot.      The  murderer  got   on    board  the   tender,   but  was 
arrested  next  morning.      The  coroner's  jury  brought  in  a 
verdict  of  "  murder,"  but,  at  the  Lancaster  assizes,  the  man 
got  off  with  one  month's  imprisonment.     On  the  Saturday 
evening    following    the    crime,    a    large   body   of    sailors 
assembled,  and,  out  of  revenge,  it  was  supposed,  for  the 
death  of  Captain  M'llroy,  attacked  the  "rendezvous"  of  the 
press-gang,  in  Strand  Street,  and,  soon  after,  the  one  on 
New  Quay,  which  they  completely  gutted,  cutting  open  the 
beds,  and  throwing  the  feathers,  bedding,  and  household 
furniture  of  every  description   into  the  street.      They  tore 
down    the    wainscoting,    mouldings,    cornices    and    doors, 
which,  as  well  as  the  windows,  shutters,  etc.,  they  utterly 
demolished,  leaving  little  more  than  the  walls,  floors,  and 
roof  undestroyed.     At  the  solicitation  of  the  Mayor  and  Ex- 
Mayor,  who  appeared  upon  the  scene,  the  mob  desisted  from 
further   outrage   and   dispersed.      That   bright  and   genial 
gossip,  "An  Old  Stager,"  has  left  so  racy  a  picture  of  the 
press-gangs  in  his  native  town  of  Liverpool,  and  their  doings, 
of  which  he  was  an  eye-witness,  that  we  cannot  resist  the 
temptation  of  quoting  his  own  words  : — 

' '  We  had  a  venerable  g-uardship  in  the  river,  the  Princess, 
which,  we  believe,  had  originally  been  a  Dutch  man-of-war,  and 
if  built  to  swim,  was  certainly  never  intended  to  sail.  There 
she  used  to  lie  at  her  moorings,  opposite  the  old  Georg-e's  Dock 
pier,  lazily  swing-ing-  backwards  and  forwards  with  the  ebbing- 


320  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

and  flowing"  of  the  tide,  and  looking-  as  if  she  had  been  built 
expressly  for  that  very  purpose  and  no  other.  Her  very 
shadow  seemed  to  grow  into  that  p'art  of  the  river  on  which 
she  lay.  But,  besides  her,  we  had  generally  some  old-fashioned 
vessel  of  war  which  had  come  round  from  Portsmouth  or  Ply- 
mouth to  receive  volunteers  or  impressed  men.  Those  who 
live  in  these  "piping-  times  of  peace"  have  no  idea  of  the  means 
which  were  employed  in  the  days  of  which  we  are  speaking  to 
man  our  vessels  of  war.  The  sailors  in  our  merchant  service 
had  to  run  the  g-auntlet,  as  it  were,  for  their  liberty,  from  one 
end  of  the  world  to  the  other.  A  ship  of  war,  falling-  in  with  a 
merchant  vessel  in  any  part  of  the  globe,  would  unceremoni- 
ously take  from  her  the  best  seamen,  leaving-  her  just  hands 
enoug-h  to  bring-  her  home.  As  they  approached  the  English 
shore,  our  cruisers,  hovering  in  all  directions,  would  take  their 
pick  of  the  remainder.  But  the  great  terror  of  the  sailor  was 
the  press-g-ang.  Such  was  the  dread  in  which  this  force  was 
held  by  the  blue-jackets,  that  they  would  often  take  to  their 
boats  on  the  other  side  of  the  Black  Rock,  that  they  might 
conceal  themselves  in  Cheshire  ;  and  many  a  vessel  had  to  be 
brought  into  port  by  a  lot  of  riggers  and  carpenters,  sent  round 
by  the  owner  for  that  purpose.  And,  truly,  according  to  our 
reminiscences,  the  press-g-ang-  was,  even  to  look  at,  something 
calculated  to  strike  fear  into  a  stout  man's  heart.  They  had 
what  they  called  a  "  Rendezvous,"  in  different  parts  of  the 
town.  There  was  one  we  recollect  in  Old  Strand-street.  From 
the  upper  window  there  was  always  a  flag  flying,  to  notify  to 
volunteers  what  sort  of  business  was  transacted  there.  But 
look  at  the  door,  and  at  the  people  who  are  issuing-  from  it. 
They  are  the  press-gang-.  At  their  head  there  was  g-enerally 
a  rakish,  dissipated,  but  determined-looking-  officer,  in  a  very 
seedy  uniform  and  shabby  hat.  And  what  followers  !  Fierce, 
savage,  stern,  villainous-looking  fellows  were  they,  as  ready  to 
cut  a  throat  as  eat  their  breakfast.  What  an  uproar  their 
appearance  always  made  in  the  street  !  The  men  scowled  at 
them  as  they  passed  ;  the  women  openly  scoffed  at  them  ;  the 
children  screamed,  and  hid  themselves  behind  doors  or  fled 


WARS  OF  THE  FRENCH  REVOLUTION.          321 

round  the  corners.  And  how  rapidly  the  word  was  passed 
from  mouth  to  mouth,  that  there  were  'hawks  abroad,'  so  as 
to  give  time  to  any  poor  sailor  who  had  incautiously  ventured 
from  his  place  of  concealment  to  return  to  it.  But  woe  unto 
him  if  there  were  no  warning  voice  to  tell  him  of  the  coming 
danger  ;  he  was  seized  upon  as  if  he  were  a  common  felon, 
deprived  of  his  liberty,  torn  from  his  home,  his  friends,  his 
parents,  wife  or  children,  hurried  to  the  rendezvous-house, 
examined,  passed,  and  sent  on  board  the  tender,  like  a  negro 
to  a  slave-ship.  And  so  it  went  on,  until  the  floating  prison 
was  filled  with  captives,  when  the  living  cargo  was  sent  round 
to  one  of  the  outports,  and  the  prisoners  were  divided  among 
the  vessels  of  war,  which,  were  in  want  of  men.  Persons  of 
the  present  generation,  have  certainly  heard  of  the  press-gang, 
but  they  never  attempt  to  realise  the  horrors  by  which  it  was 
accompanied.  Nay,  the  generality  seem  to  us  to  hardly 
believe  in  its  existence,  but  rather  to  classify  it  with  "Gulliver's 
Travels,"  "  Don  Quixote,"  "  Robinson  Crusoe,"  or  the 
"Heathen  Mythology."  But  we  can  recollect  its  working. 
We  have  seen  the  strong  man  bent  to  tears,  and  reduced  to 
woman's  weakness  by  it.  We  have  seen  parents  made,  as  it 
were,  childless,  through  its  operation ;  the  wife  widowed,  with 
a  husband  yet  alive ;  children  orphaned  by  the  forcible 
abduction  of  their  fathers.  And  yet,  there  were  many  in  those 
days,  not  only  naval  men,  but  statesmen  and  legislators,  who 
venerated  the  press-gang  as  one  of  the  pillars  and  institutions 
of  the  country.  In  those  days,  indeed  !  We  much  fear  that, 
if  even  now  we  could  look  into  the  heart  of  hearts  of  many  a 
veteran  admiral  and  captain,  we  should  find  that  they  have,  in 
the  event  of  war,  no  other  plan  in  their  heads  for  manning  the 
navy,  but  a  return  to  this  dreadful  and  oppressive  system.  We 
would,  however,  recommend  those  in  whose  department  it  lies 
to  be  devising  some  other  scheme,  as  we  are  strongly  impressed 
with  the  conviction  that  public  opinion  will  not  in  these  days 
tolerate,  under  any  plea  or  excuse  of  necessity,  such  an  infringe- 
ment upon  the  liberty  of  the  subject.  But  we  are  not  writing  a 
political  article,  but  only  describing  our  old-world  fashions. 


322  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVA  TEERS. 

Pretty  rows  and  riots,  you  may  suppose,  now  and  then  occurred 
between  the  press-gang  and  the  fighting  part  of  the  public  ; 
and  not  a  few  do  we  remember  to  have  witnessed  in  our  younger 
days.  On  more  than  one  occasion,  we  have  seen  a  rendezvous- 
house  gutted  and  levelled  to  the  ground. 

"Sometimes  the  sailors  and  their  friends  would  show 
fight,  and  as  the  mob  always  joined  them,  the  press-gang 
invariably  got  the  worst  of  it  in  such  battles.  Sometimes, 
too,  the  press-gangers  would  'get  into  the  wrong  box,'  and 
'take  the  wrong  sow  by  the  ear,'  by  seizing  an  American 
sailor  or  a  carpenter,  and  then  there  was  sure  to  be  a  squall. 
The  bells  from  the  shipbuilding  yards  would  boom  out  their 
warning  call  in  the  latter  case,  and  thousands  would  muster 
to  set  their  companion  at  liberty.  A  press-gangman  was 
occasionally  tarred  and  feathered  in  those  days  when  caught 
alone.  We  remember,  as  if  it  were  only  yesterday,  walking 
down  South  Castle  Street  (it  was  Pool  Lane  then),  with  the 
Old  Dock,  where  the  Custom  House  now  stands,  before  us. 
It  was,  for  some  reason  or  other,  tolerably  clear  of  ships  at 
the  time.  We  wrell  remember,  however,  that  there  was  one 
large  vessel  or  hulk  somewhere  about  the  middle.  Before  we 
tell  what  happened,  we  must  observe  that,  attached  to  the 
Strand  Street  press-gang,  there  was  one  most  extra  piratical- 
looking  scoundrel,  named  Jack  Something-or-other.  Perhaps, 
as  is  often  the  case,  '  they  gave  the  devil  more  than  his 
due';  but  if  one  half  of  the  things  said  against  this  Jack  was 
true,  he  deserved  to  be  far  and  away  Prince  and  Potentate 
and  Prime  Minister  in  Madame  Tussaud's  Chamber  of 
Horrors.  Well,  as  aforesaid,  the  Old  Dock  was  in  front  of  us, 
when  all  at  once  we  heard  a  noise  behind  us,  which  told  us 
that  the  game  was  up,  and  the  hounds  well  laid  on  and  in  full 
cry. 

"  At  the  same  moment,  Jack  shot  past  us,  like  an  arrow 
from  a  bow,  while  hundreds  of  men,  women,  and  children 
were  howling,  shouting,  screaming,  yelling,  threatening  close 
behind  him.  Every  street  sent  forth  its  crowd  to  intercept 
him.  There  was  no  turning  until  he  reached  the  dock  quay, 


WARS  OF  THE  FRENCH  REVOLUTION.          323 

but  there  the  carters  and  porters  rushed  forward  to  stop  him. 
What  was  to  be  done  ?  How  was  he  to  escape  ?  The  dock, 
as  we  said  before,  was  in  front,  and  there  was  the  vessel  in 
the  middle.  Without  a  moment's  hesitation,  the  terrified 
wretch  took  the  water,  dived,  like  Rob  Roy,  to  baffle  his 
pursuers,  and  soon  gained  the  deck  of  the  hulk.  Some  talked 
of  boarding  her,  and  dragging  him  from  his  concealment ;  but 
the  majority  of  the  mob  decided  that  justice  was  better  than 
vengeance,  and,  satisfied  with  Jack's  fright  and  ducking, 
concluded  that  although  he  was  a  bad  one,  he  was  game,  and 
would  make  them  more  sport  another  time,  and  so  dispersed." 

Desperate  press-gang  encounters  took  place  in  Pool-lane, 
now  South  Castle  Street,  so  that  it  was  hardly  safe  to  pass 
along  it  at  times,  certainly  not  in  the  night  season.  It  was 
much  frequented  in  war-time  by  the  privateersmen,  who 
spent  their  prize  money  freely  amongst  the  dingy  denizens 
of  the  locality,  in  the  public-houses,  and  slop-sellers'  shops. 
When  Jack  came  in  from  a  cruise,  with  his  cutlass  at  his  side, 
and  his  pockets  full  of  plunder,  Mistress  Quickly  received  him 
like  a  mother,  and  Doll  Tearsheet  wept  crocodile  tears  of 
joy  at  his  hairbreadth  escapes.  He  was  her  Othello  for  the 
nonce,  but  when  his  money  was  spent,  or  stolen,  they  could 
always  betray  him  to  the  press-gang,  or  the  crimps,  for  a 
Guinea  voyage.  At  Seacombe,  in  those  days,  there  were 
but  few  houses,  and  only  a  farm  or  two  between  it  and  the 
Magazines,  near  which,  and  on  the  site  of  the  villa  erected 
and  now  occupied  by  Mr.  Joseph  Kitchingman,  at  the  bottom 
of  Caithness  Drive,  on  the  Promenade,  was  a  little  public- 
house,  kept  by  "Mother  Red  Cap,"  where  the  sailors  fled 
from  impressment,  and  where  the  privateersmen  lodged  their 
gains  with  the  landlady,  who  earned  her  title  by  the  red  cap 
she  always  wore.  Many  curious  stories  are  extant  about 
this  old  woman  and  her  inn.  There  is  a  tradition  that  the 
caves  at  the  Red  Noses,  in  addition  to  penetrating  as  far  as 
Chester,  communicated  in  some  way,  and  somewhere,  with 


324  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

Mother  Red  Cap's  house,  and  it  was  in  their  recesses  that 
the  hunted  sailors,  in  war-time,  used  to  be  put  into  safe 
hiding.  The  caves  undoubtedly  penetrated  to  a  considerable 
distance  in  the  direction  of  the  Magazines,  as  there  is  now 
living  at  Wallasey,  an  old  man  who  explored  them  in  his 
youth.  In  preparing  for  the  foundations  of  Mr.  Kitching- 
man's  villa  there  was  a  good  deal  of  excavation,  and  perhaps 
a  reasonable  expectation  of  rinding  "treasure-trove,"  but  it 
produced  nothing  of  greater  interest  than  a  nine-hole  stone, 
on  which  the  old  lady's  customers  used  to  amuse  themselves. 
The  striking  contrast  between  Mother  Red  Cap's  humble 
hostelry,  rilled  with  a  wild  crew  of  blood-stained  men  of 
the  sea,  drinking,  smoking,  singing,  quarrelling,  and 
righting,  as  the  humour  took  them,  and  the  present  beauti- 
ful home  of  the  artist,  is  typical  of  the  moral  transfor- 
mation which  the  people  on  both  sides  of  the  "  Silent 
Highway  "  have  undergone  since  the  last  private  ship  of 
war  sailed  out  of  the  Mersey. 

Stonehouse,  speaking  of  Woodside  Ferry,  also  bears 
testimony  to  the  character  of  both  the  privateersmen  and  the 
press-gang: — 

"The  last  century  was  a  lawless  time  in  its  history,  for  it 
swarmed  with  fierce  privateersmen,  inhuman  slavers,  reckless 
merchantmen,  and  violent  men-of-war's  men,  who  all  conspired 
to  make  the  sailor  element  of  the  town  'thick  and  slab.'  In 
these  days  of  peace  we  have  no  conception  of  the  uproar,  the 
violence,  the  turbulence,  as  well  as  the  merriment  that  pre- 
vailed when  men  came  home  from  some  short  voyage  with 
large  sums  to  receive,  the  results  of  their  rapacity  upon,  and 
robbery  of  their  neighbour,  that  war  gave  countenance  to  and 
justified.  These  men's  hearts  were  hardened  against  the  cry  of 
humanity.  After  some  great  engagement,  when  men  were 
scarce  and  the  strength  of  the  navy  was  enervated,  the  press- 
gangs  stalked  through  the  town,  seizing  anyone  to  whom  they 
took  a  fancy  ;  and  though  such  an  one  might  have  been  able  to 
show  himself  to  be  a  simple  landsman,  or,  if  a  sailor  as  having 


WARS  OF  THE  FRENCH  REVOLUTION.  325 

protection,  if  the  service  was  hard  pushed  but  small  consider- 
ation was  used  in  any  case.  A  man  was  a  man,  and  away  he 
went  on  board  the  tender.  It  was  no  uncommon  circumstance 
in  those  days  for  persons  to  be  unaccountably  missing-,  men  in 
really  respectable  positions  in  life,  who  would  after  a  year  or 
two  suddenly  turn  up,  having  been  impressed  and  sent  to  a 
foreign  station.  The  atrocities  of  the  press-gangs  we  read 
about,  but  can  scarcely  credit." 

A  rare  instance  of  the  press-gang  lion  and  the  sailor 
lamb  lying  down,  or  rather  sitting  together,  happened  in 
July,  1794,  when  a  benefit  performance  took  place  at  the 
Theatre  Royal,  for  the  relief  of  the  widows  and  orphans  of 
the  brave  fellows  who  fell  on  the  "glorious  first  of  June." 
Prior  to  the  performance  a  letter  appeared  in  the  Advertiser, 
from  a  "J.B.,"  of  Tarleton  Street,  in  which  occurred  the 
following  passage  : — 

"The  only  thing  to  be  lamented  on  the  occasion  is  that  a 
set  of  men  are  precluded  from  attendance,  whose  principal 
characteristic  is  a  most  unbounded  generosity.  I  mean  the 
sailors,  who  dare  not  appear,  in  order  to  show  their  liberality, 
being  deterred  by  the  apprehension  of  being  impressed  ;  this 
very  circumstance  I  should  presume  will  materially  affect  the 
receipts  of  the  gallery,  unless  the  gentlemen  in  power  would 
step  forward  and  generously  guarantee  the  personal  safety  of 
these  hardy  heroes  for  twenty-four  hours,  to  commence  this 
day  at  noon  and  to  continue  till  the  noon  of  the  following  day; 
a  circumstance  this,  I  should  presume,  that  would  in  no 
respect  injure  the  general  purpose  of  government. " 

Immediately  below  it  appeared  the  following  re-assuring 
letter,  probably  inspired  from  the  "rendezvous"  of  the 
press-gang : — 

"  LIVERPOOL,  July  21  st,  1794.      Mr.  Tim  Mainstay — Being 
well  acquainted  with  the  disposition  of  the  Regulating  Captain, 
I  will  answer  for  his  not  suffering  any  man  to  be  impressed  at    -s 
the  time  of  his  going  to,  or  returning  from  the  Theatre,  this 
evening ;  therefore    all  jolly    tars    may    subscribe    their    mite 


326  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

to  the  widows  and  orphans,  and  at  the  same  time  enjoy  the 
evening's    amusement,    without    any    apprehension    of  being- 
pressed.     The  officers,  press  masters,  &c.,  will  partake  of  the 
.  amusement,    without   the  least  intention   of  interrupting-   the 
performers  or  the  audience. — Yours,  TOM  BOWLINE." 
The  receipts  at  the  Theatre  on  the  occasion  in  question 
amounted  to  £208  i8s.  6d. 

The  press  for  seamen  for  the  navy  was  very  hot  this 
year,  but  Tim  Mainstay,  Tom  Bowline,  and  the  rest  of 
the  tarry  fraternity  were  not  the  only  people  \vho  had  cause 
of  complaint.  The  press-gang,  not  content  to  scour  Jack's 
usual  haunts  and  hiding  places  on  both  sides  of  the  river, 
went  inland,  invading  the  merriment  of  wakes  and  fairs, 
and  carrying  off  every  eligible  landsman  they  could  lay 
their  hands  on.  This  practice  carried  indescribable  grief  and 
misery  into  many  a  home. 

Even  a  stage  coach,  dashing  along  in  charge  of  an  armed 
guard,  and  presided  over  by  a  masterful  and  dignified  Jehu, 
the  admiration  and  awe  of  all  pedestrians,  was  not  sacred  in 
the  eyes  of  the  hardened  ruffians,  who  hunted  for  sailors  with 
the  tenacity  of  sleuth  hounds. 

In  the  newspaper  of  May  i2th,  1794,  we  read  as  follows:— 
"On  Thursday  evening,  about  six  o'clock,  a  press-gang- 
stopped  Sherwood's  boat  coach  from  Wctrrington,  at  Low 
Hill,  near  this  town,  and  cut  the  bridles  of  the  horses,  to  pre- 
vent the  carriage  proceeding,  when  they  examined  the  outside 
passengers  in  expectation  of  some  of  them  proving  seamen. 
The  York  mail  coming  up  at  the  time,  they  also  stopped  it,  the 
guard  threatened  to  fire  at  them,  and  in  getting  his  pistols,  one 
of  them  by  accident  went  off,  and  the  shot  passed  through  the 
back  of  the  coach,  wherein  were  two  gentlemen,  but  hurt 
neither  of  them :  the  report  of  it  frightened  the  horses  of  the 
other  carriage  so,  that  they  set  off  with  it  at  full  speed,  without 
the  driver.  After  gaining  a  distance  of  about  400  yards,  a 
gentleman  of  the  law  of  this  town,  threw  himself  out  of  the 
coach  and  has  been  confined  to  his  room  ever  since,  being 


WARS  OF  THE  FRENCH  REVOLUTION.          327 

dreadfully  hurt  on  his  head  and  one  of  his  leg's.  Two  ladies 
were  also  inside,  but  stuck  by  the  carriage  and  were  not  hurt. 
'  The  offending  parties  were  carried  before  a  county  magistrate 
on  Saturday,  and  after  examination  were  bound  over  to  the 
Sessions  to  answer  for  the  outrage." 

During  the  year  1794,  the  navy  of  France  received  a  blow 
from  which  it  never  recovered,  and  her  principal  West 
Indian  Colonies  fell  into  the  hands  of  England,  opening  up 
for  Liverpool,  with  its  West  India  and  African  trade, 
prospects  of  great  extension  of  commerce.  On  the  28th  of 
April,  the  Mayor  of  Liverpool,  Mr.  Henry  Blundell,  whose 
brother,  Lieutenant-Colonel  Blundell,  had  distinguished 
himself  at  the  capture  of  the  island  of  Martinique,  gave  a 
grand  banquet  in  honour  of  that  event.  On  Friday,  the 
2ist  of  May,  the  bells  of  the  churches  rang  all  day  in  honour 
of  the  conquest  of  Guadaloupe  ;  and  early  in  July,  news 
arrived  of  the  capture  of  Port-au-Prince,  in  the  island  of  St. 
Domingo.  But  the  crowning  event  of  the  year  was  the  great 
victory  gained  by  Lord  Howe  over  the  Brest  fleet,  on  the  ist 
of  June,  a  victory  which  greatly  diminished  the  apprehen- 
sions of  invasion,  but  did  not  altogether  remove  them.* 

''On  Friday  morning,  when  the  news  of  Lord  Howe 
having  defeated  the  French  fleet  arrived  in  Liverpool,"  says 
Williamson's  Advertiser  of  June  i6th,  "it  gave  rise  to  the 
most  unbounded  joy.  The  bells  of  the  different  churches 
rang  incessantly  ;  flags  were  displayed  from  the  ships  and 
steeples  ;  the  ships  in  the  different  docks  were  gaily  decor- 
ated ;  pendants  and  ensigns  were  hung  out  from  the  various 
dwellings  throughout  the  town  ;  and  where  those  could  not 
be  obtained,  quilts,  handkerchiefs,  curtains,  etc.  At  one 
o'clock,  a  royal  salute  was  fired  from  the  great  guns  of  the 
fort.  On  Saturday,  the  flags  were  again  displayed." 


*  The  Corporation  headed  a  county  subscription,  to  raise  volunteer  regiments, 
with  a  contribution  of  ^"1000. 


328  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVA  TEERS. 

Whether  rejoicing,  fighting,  or  slave  trading,  the  old  Dicky 
Sams  did  nothing  by  halves. 

On  the  i8th  of  July,  1794,  the  brig  Three  Brothers,  Cap- 
tain Hanna,  on  her  passage  from  Liverpool  to  New  York, 
was  taken  and  burnt  by  two  French  frigates,  which,  a 
month  later,  also  captured  the  brig  Hawk,  of  Pool.  Captain 
Hanna,  with  one  of  the  passengers  he  had  in  the  Three 
Brothers,  a  Dutchman,  and  two  small  boys,  with  several 
Frenchmen  and  boys,  were  put  on  board  the  Hawk.  On  the 
28th  of  August,  Captain  Hanna,  with  the  assistance  of  his 
companions,  got  the  Frenchmen  made  fast  in  the  forecastle, 
and  carried  the  brig  into  Dor  Sound,  in  the  Orkneys.  She 
was  richly  laden  with  bale  goods,  tanned  leather,  butter  and 
cheese,  teas,  etc.  The  two  frigates  captured  twenty-five 
prizes  while  Captain  Hanna  was  on  board,  burning  and 
sinking  all  but  two,  which  they  sent  to  Ireland  with  130 
men.  They  had  previously  taken  the  Hound,  sloop  of  war, 
and  sent  her  to  Brest,  and  burnt  a  Spanish  vessel. 

The  ship  Fame,  of  Boston,  Captain  Davies,  on  her  pas- 
sage from  Virginia  to  Liverpool,  was  taken,  off  Cape  Clear, 
by  the  French  frigate  L'Agricole,  of  44  guns  and  550  men. 
She  was  set  for  France,  under  the  care  of  a  prize-master  and 
six  men,  and  her  crew  \vere  taken  on  board  the  frigate, 
except  Captain  Davies,  two  men,  and  a  black  boy.  Three 
days  after  parting  from  the  frigate,  Captain  Davies  and  his 
men  rose  upon  the  Frenchmen,  secured  them,  and  carried 
the  ship  safe  into  Cork  and  thence  to  Liverpool. 

The  Polly,  Captain  Jones,  arrived  at  Jamaica,  from 
Liverpool,  after  a  severe  engagement,  off  Martinico,  with  a 
French  privateer,  of  14  guns  and  120  men,  whom  she  beat 
off. 

The  French  privateer  Sans  Culottes,  of  20  guns  (supposed 
to  have  been  formerly  the  William,  of  Liverpool),  was 
captured  and  carried  into  St.  Kitts  by  the  La  Blanche 
frigate. 


WARS  OF  THE  FRENCH  REVOLUTION.          329 

The  Mary,  Captain  Bonsall,  and  the  Agnes,  Captain 
Parker,  captured  eight  vessels  from  Martinico  and  Guada- 
loupe,  laden  with  sugar,  coffee,  and  other  commodities,  and 
carried  them  into  Monserrat.  The  Agnes  also  had  a  claim 
upon  another  prize,  being  in  sight  when  it  was  taken. 
Soon  after,  the  Mary  captured  a  French  privateer,  of  12 
guns  and  55  men,  and  carried  her  into  St.  Christophers. 

The  ship  Christopher,  Captain  Smith,  captured  three 
vessels  laden  with  West  India  produce,  and  destroyed 
a  French  privateer,  of  12  guns  and  44  men,  belonging  to 
Martinico. 

The  Elizabeth,  Captain  Fletcher,  arrived  at  Jamaica, 
from  Liverpool,  after  beating  off  two  French  privateers,  of 
16  and  14  guns,  who  attacked  her  near  Isle  de  Vache. 

The  fames,  Captain  Brailsford,  on  her  passage  to  Africa, 
was  taken,  off  Cape  Clear,  by  two  French  4O-gun  frigates, 
and  a  sloop  of  war.  The  French  commander  put  eleven  of 
the  frigate's  crew  on  board,  leaving  only  the  mate  and  two 
boys  belonging  to  the  fames  in  her,  and  ordered  the  prize- 
master  to  take  her  to  Brest.  He  being  incompetent  for  the 
task,  requested  the  English  mate  to  steer  for  that  port.  The 
mate,  however,  very  wisely  altered  her  course  for  Bristol,  at 
which  place  he  would  probably  have  arrived,  had  not  the 
Castor  and  Peggy  tenders  relieved  him  of  his  charge,  and 
carried  her  into  Plymouth. 

At  the  beginning  of  August,  1794,  there  arrived  in  Liver- 
pool, James  Scallon,  carpenter  of  the  Ellen,  Captain  Raphel, 
which  had  been  taken,  in  March,  by  the  French  frigate  La 
Proserpine.  On  the  ist  of  July,  he,  with  six  others,  had 
escaped  from  the  prison  at  Ouimper,  in  Brittany,  from 
whence,  after  a  march  of  seventeen  nights  (being  obliged  to 
conceal  themselves  by  day),  they  reached  the  sea  coast, 
where  they  fortunately  found  a  small  boat,  in  which  they 
embarked,  in  the  hope  of  reaching  England.  Having  made 
a  mast  with  a  strong  pole  taken  from  a  neighbouring  wood, 


330  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

they  converted  their  shirts  into  a  sail,  and  with  a  piece  of 
board  for  a  rudder,  without  water  or  food,  they  committed 
themselves  to  the  ocean,  and  in  three  days,  to  their  inex- 
pressible joy,  landed  at  Sidmouth  Beach,  in  Devonshire. 
Scallon  stated  that  he  left  2,700  English  in  the  prison  at 
Ouimper.  In  a  small  house  near  the  prison,  was  confined, 
under  a  guard,  the  Lady  Anne  Fitzroy,  who  had  been  taken 
some  time  before  in  the  packet  returning  from  Lisbon, 
about  whose  fate  there  had  been  great  uncertainty.  Among 
the  prisoners  was  Lieutenant  Robinson,  of  the  Thames 
frigate,  whose  leg  had  been  shot  off  in  the  action  when  the 
Thames  was  captured,  but  who  was  sufficiently  recovered  to 
move  on  crutches.  Some  of  the  crew  of  the  Thames  had 
been  shot  in  attempting  to  escape  from  prison.  Since  the 
defeat  of  the  French  fleet,  the  English  prisoners  had  been 
treated  with  much  more  severity  than  before.  One  of 
Scallon's  fellow  prisoners,  who  was  sent  to  Brest,  in  order 
to  be  examined  for  the  condemnation  of  a  ship,  saw,  whilst 
he  was  there,  the  Bishop  of  Ouimper,  and  25  other  persons 
guillotined  in  the  space  of  eleven  minutes.  It  was  stated 
that  in  the  action  of  the  ist  of  June,  the  French  Admiral's 
ship  Montague  had  1,500  men  on  board,  500  of  whom  were 
killed. 

The  Gregson,  Captain  Gibson,  was  taken  on  her  passage 
from  Liverpool  to  Africa,  by  the  La  Robuste,  of  22  guns 
and  160  men,  and  carried  into  L'Orient.  On  the  2nd  of 
July,  1794,  Mr.  Pince,  second  mate,  and  Mr.  Jones, 
surgeon's  mate,  of  the  Gregson,  were  ordered,  with  other 
prisoners,  about  45  miles  up  the  country.  During  the 
preparations  in  weighing  their  baggage,  etc., — each  having 
previously  provided  himself  with  a  National  cockade — they 
passed  through  the  crowd  unobserved,  and  got  on  board  a 
Danish  vessel,  where  they  put  on  a  disguise.  They  then 
went  into  an  American  vessel,  but  the  captain  being  unwill- 
ing to  keep  them,  they  returned  to  the  Danish  ship,  only, 


WARS  OF  THE  FRENCH  REVOLUTION.  331 

however,  to  board  the  American  a  second  time,  unknown 
to  the  skipper.  They  were  concealed  in  the  hold  eight 
days,  and,  when  discovered,  were  treated  by  him  with  the 
greatest  civility.  A  few  days  later,  when  off  Portland 
Point,  they  boarded  a  brig,  bound  for  Bermuda,  which  was 
standing  in,  with  the  intention  of  getting  on  shore,  but  the 
Captain  refused  to  assist  them,  and  they  were  forced  to 
return  to  the  American  vessel.  Soon  after,  they  met  with 
a  pilot  boat,  which  landed  them  at  Portsmouth  Point. 
Captain  Tristram  Barnard,  the  kindly  commander  of  the 
American  ship,  paid  their  passage,  and  gave  them  four 
guineas  to  enable  them  to  reach  Liverpool.  They  reported 
that  the  French  were  re-building  several  ships  of  the  line  and 
frigates,  a  number  of  the  latter  being  specially  intended  to 
cruise  against  the  African  vessels  belonging  to  Liverpool. 

During  the  year  1794,  the  following  recaptures  were 
effected  by  Liverpool  ships  :— 

The  Enterprise,  Captain  Young,  recaptured  the  Virginie, 
400  tons  burthen,  from  River  Plate  for  Cadiz.  The  Sarah, 
Captain  M'Ghie,  recaptured  the  Mary,  Captain  Taylor. 
The  Swan,  Captain  Hall,  recaptured  the  brig  Nancy,  of 
Belfast.  The  Fortune  recaptured  the  Two  Brothers,  of 
Yarmouth.  The  Mary  recaptured  the  Active,  from  Lisbon 
for  London.  The  Hawke,  on  her  passage  to  Barbadoes, 
recaptured  the  Penelope,  of  Greenock.  The  Old  Dick, 
Captain  Bird,  recaptured  the  brig  Martin,  of  Whitehaven, 
and  the  brig  Ilfracombe,  with  198  pipes  of  wine,  30  bags  of 
shumac,  and  40  quintals  of  cork.  The  Old  Dick,  the  Betsey, 
Captain  Corran,  and  \hejenny,  Captain  Smith,  had  narrow 
escapes  of  being  taken  by  French  frigates,  but  escaped  by 
dint  of  sailing.  The  Barton,  Captain  Hall,  recaptured  the 
brig  Mentor,  of  Aberdeen,  with  fruit  from  Lisbon.  The 
Othello,  Captain  Christian,  recaptured  the  ship  Minerva, 
from  Martinico  for  St.  Domingo.  The  Edgar,  Captain 
Kendall,  took  possession  of  a  fine  brig,  off  Cape  Finisterre, 


332  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

laden    with   salt,  wine,   and    fruit,    but  without   a   soul   on 
board. 

The  Commerce,  Captain  Boswonth,  cruising  off  Desseado, 
took  four  prizes,  and  the  Allanson,  Captain  Byrne,  re- 
captured the  brig  Minerva,  of  Belfast ;  and,  on  her  passage 
to  Barbadoes,  took  the  Cleopatra,  an  American  vessel,  from 
Mauritius  for  Boston,  with  many  French  passengers  on 
board.  In  August,  1794,  the  Allanson  was  herself  captured, 
homeward  bound,  by  a  French  frigate. 

The  Molly,  Captain  Ford,  on  her  passage  to  Virginia, 
was  attacked  by  a  French  privateer,  of  12  guns,  and  full  of 
men,  whom  she  beat  off. 

The  Kitty,  Captain  Taylor,  arrived  in  Liverpool  from 
Guernsey,  having  been  retaken  from  the  French  by  the 
Hero,  of  that  island. 

Seven  slave  ships  belonging  to  Liverpool,  together  with 
others  from  different  ports,  were  taken  and  destroyed  by 
the  French  squadron  on  the  Gold  Coast,  which  also  devas- 
tated the  settlement  of  Sierra  Leone,  leaving  the  settlers, 
1300  in  number,  without  provisions  or  necessaries,  but  such 
as  could  be  obtained  from  the  natives.  The  store  houses  at 
Isles  de  Los  were  also  burnt. 

The  Kitty,  Captain  Mount,  on  her  voyage  to  the  coast  of 
Africa,  made  the  island  of  Madeira,  and  observed  three  ships 
close  in  with  it.  Captain  Mount  ran  down  on  the  weather- 
most  of  them,  and  found  her  to  be  a  French  privateer, 
mounting  24  guns  on  one  deck,  and  seemingly  full  of  men. 
He  made  sail  and  stood  away,  after  exchanging  a  few  shots. 
Two  of  the  vessels  followed  him,  and  continued  the  chase 
two  days  and  nights,  pulling  a  number  of  sweeps,  and  had 
nearly  come  up  with  him,  when  a  breeze  sprung  up,  and 
the  Kitty  sailed  away  from  them  with  ease.  The  Kitty, 
and  the  Sally,  Captain  Woods,  were  in  company  with  the 
Clemison,  Captain  Jones,  when  she  was  taken  by  a  French 
frigate,  of  44  guns,  and  saved  themselves  by  bearing  down 


WARS  OF  THE  FRENCH  REVOLUTION.          333 

on    the    Frenchman,    causing   him    to    make    off  with    his 
prize. 

On  the  loth  of  January,  1795,  three  ships  belonging  to 
the  French  squadron,  which  had  committed  considerable 
ravages  on  the  coast  of  Africa,  sailed  up  to  Duke  Town, 
Old  Calabar,  and  one  of  them,  carrying  20  twelve-pounders, 
attacked  the  slave  ship  Kitty,  Captain  Walker,  of  Liverpool, 
which  received  and  returned  three  broadsides.  Finding 
that  only  one  of  their  number  could  engage  the  Kitty  at  one 
time,  owing  to  her  position,  the  enemy  sheered  off,  and 
made  no  further  attempts.  On  receipt  of  the  news  in  Liver- 
pool, a  subscription  was  started  for  the  master,  officers,  and 
crew  of  the  Kitty,  for  their  gallant  behaviour.  The  Kitty 
was  an  "amazingly  fast"  sailer,  and  on  her  voyage  to 
Africa,  in  April,  1796,  on  two  occasions  escaped  from 
different  squadrons  of  frigates  which  chased  her. 

The  Mary  Ann,  Captain  Bushell,  left  Jamaica  on  the 
i4th  of  January,  1795,  with  a  crew  of  19  men,  and  two 
passengers.  On  the  agth,  a  French  schooner  privateer,  of 
6  guns  and  70  men,  which  had  been  hovering  in  sight  for 
two  days,  twice  attempted  to  board  them.  The  Frenchman 
ran  on  board  the  Mary  Ann's  starboard  quarter,  where  he 
lay  for  half-an-hour,  but  was  repulsed.  The  contest  was 
very  severe  on  both  sides,  and  the  slaughter  on  board  the 
schooner  was  dreadful.  The  Mary  Ann  had  two  men 
killed  and  four  wounded.  The  two  passengers,  Lieutenant 
Wall,  of  the  Belliqueux,  and  Lieutenant  Ford,  of  the 
Penelope,  were  complimented  by  Captain  Bushell  for  their 
bravery  and  gallant  conduct,  having  been  foremost  in 
danger  throughout  the  action,  and  unremitting  in  their 
exertions  to  animate  his  little  crew  against  "  their  numerous 
and  inveterate  foe." 

Nine  of  the  crew  of  the  Cochrane,  Captain  Wiseman, 
of  Liverpool,  fearful  of  being  impressed  in  the  West 
Indies,  went  on  shore  in  the  boat  at  St.  Vincent.  They 


334  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVA  TEERS. 

unfortunately  landed  in  a  small  bay  near  where  the  French 
and  Charaibs  were  encamped,  who,  on  seeing  the  boat, 
rushed  to  the  beach  and  made  them  all  prisoners.  After 
remaining  in  durance  two  days,  the  unlucky  mariners  were 
relieved  from  their  perilous  situation  by  the  British  troops 
storming  the  French  and  Charaibs'  camp. 

On  the  loth  of  April,  1795,  off  Abaco,  one  of  the 
Bahamas,  the  Crescent,  Captain  M'Gauley,  fell  in  with  a 
Republican  privateer,  of  10  guns  and  about  70  men,  who 
maintained  an  obstinate  action  for  two  hours,  and  then 
sheered  off. 

The  Eolus  was  attacked  off  Nevis  by  a  French  privateer, 
of  10  guns,  and  full  of  men,  with  which  she  kept  up  a 
running  fight  of  three  hours,  and  at  length  beat  her  off,  after 
inflicting  considerable  damage  and  receiving  none. 

Some  curious  expedients  were  adopted  to  baffle  captors 
searching  for  treasure.  Amongst  the  packages  on  board 
the  French  ship  Hermione,  captured  by  his  Majesty's  ship 
Argonaut,  were  some  marked  "verdigris,"  which,  on  being 
opened,  were  found  to  contain  46  ingots  of  silver,  which 
sold  for  upwards  of  ,£12,000  sterling. 

The  ship  James,  Captain  Warren,  arrived  at  Montego 
Bay,  on  June  22nd,  1795,  with  a  cargo  of  slaves.  On  the 
passage  from  Barbadoes,  he  was  attacked,  off  St.  Lucia,  by  a 
French  schooner  privateer,  which  he  beat  off  after  an  engage- 
ment of  near  two  hours.  Neither  the  ship  nor  crew  received 
any  damage,  but  seven  negroes  died  afterwards  from  fright, 
taken  during  the  conflict. 

On  the  3ist  of  August,  1/95,  at  five  a.m.,  the  ship  Mary 
Ellen,  Captain  Grierson,  bound  from  Liverpool  to  Bar- 
badoes, discovered  a  sail  in  chase,  astern,  upon  which  they 
made  all  the  sail  they  could  to  get  clear  of  her,  but  to  no 
purpose.  She  came  up  with  them  at  seven  a.m.,  hauled 
down  English  colours,  hoisted  French  National  colours, 
and  proved  to  be  an  armed  French  brig.  She  fired  her 


WARS  OF  THE  FRENCH  REVOLUTION.  335 

bow  guns  into  the  Mary  Ellen,  then  came  alongside  and 
poured  a  broadside  of  nine  guns  into  her,  which  was 
returned  "as  quick  as  possible."  Then  a  continual  fire 
was  kept  up  on  both  sides  for  six  hours,  within  pistol  shot, 
when  the  stays,  topsail  sheets,  and  steering  sail  booms  of 
the  brig  being  shot  away,  she  dropped  astern  for  some 
time;  but  the  Mary  Ellen  b^ing  at  the  same  time  almost  a 
wreck — the  hull,  masts,  yards,  rigging,  and  sails  much 
shattered,  and  the  rudder  shot  away,  so  that  they  could  not 
work  her  as  they  wished, — the  Frenchman  took  advantage  of 
their  situation,  run  alongside  the  ship  again,  and  poured 
a  whole  broadside  into  her,  which  being  immediately 
returned,  he  dropped  astern,  and  hauled  his  wind  to  the 
northward,  leaving  the  Mary  Ellen  in  a  most  shattered 
condition.  They  then  returned  to  the  repairs  of  the  ship, 
put  her  in  the  best  condition  they  could,  made  sail,  and 
arrived  at  Barbadoes  on  the  3rd  of  September.  This  gallant 
action  gained  Captain  Grierson  and  his  crew  universal 
approbation.  On  his  return  to  Liverpool,  the  captain  was 
married  at  St.  Thomas'  Church,  to  "Miss  Stringfellow  in 
Park  Lane." 

On  the  30th  of  October,   1795,  Captain  Farquhar,  of  the 
ship  Lord  Stanley,  wrote  from  Havannah  as  follows  : — 

"On  my  way  from  St.  Kitts,  down  the  north  side  of  St. 
Domingo,  I  fell  in  with  a  French  schooner  privateer,  of  12  guns, 
and  full  of  men.  He  engaged  us,  but  in  about  forty-five 
minutes  got  so  severely  handled,  as  to  haul  off;  his  sails  tore, 
main-topmast  and  the  tricolour  flag  hang-ing-  heels  up  ;  his 
mainsail  down,  and  the  mast  so  wounded,  that  he  made  no  sail 
on  it  while  in  sight.  An  intelligent  lad  in  our  maiivtop,  saw 
them  heave  seven  dead  bodies  overboard.  Thank  God,  we 
have  received  no  damage,  but  some  shot  throug-h  the  sails. 
A  pair  more  of  them  came  to  look  for  ue  off  the  Matanzas, 
but  the  ship's  appearance  when  the  sloop  of  8  g-uns — the 
largest — was  within  hail,  prevented  any  firing- ;  and  I  had 


336  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

the  satisfaction  of  protecting  a  Danish  ship,  which  had  been 
before  plundered  and  much  illtreated,  by  a  privateer  from 
Port-au-Paix." 

On  his  arrival  in  Liverpool,  Captain  Farquhar  brought 
the  intelligence  that  the  San  Lorenzo,  of  80  guns,  had 
arrived  at  the  Havannah  from  St.  Domingo,  bearing  "the 
coffin,  bones,  and  fetters  of  Christopher  Columbus,  which 
the  Government  were  preparing  to  receive  on  shore  for 
re-interment,  with  the  highest  military  honours." 

Captain  M'Quay,  of  the  Stag,  arrived  from  the  Havannah, 
and  brought  the  news  that  five  Spanish  sailors  on  board  the 
Hibernian,  of  Dublin,  Captain  Wilson,  had  cut  the  throats 
of  the  captain,  second  mate,  and  carpenter,  and  thrown  their 
bodies  overboard.  The  chief  mate  had  three  cuts  across  his 
throat,  but,  with  two  boys,  he  brought  the  ship  to  the 
Havannah.  The  five  Spaniards  took  the  boat,  and  landed 
at  the  Moro.  The  Governor  immediately  despatched  a  party 
off,  who  took  them,  and  in  a  short  time  they  were  all  executed 
in  the  presence  of  Captain  M'Quay,  their  bodies  quartered, 
and  their  heads  hung  in  cages.  The  Governor  took  all  the 
property,  intending  to  dispose  of  it,  and  remit  the  amount 
of  sales  to  the  owners  in  Dublin. 

Captain  Hart,  of  the  Bolton,  of  20  guns  and  30  men,  left 
Jamaica  for  Liverpool,  on  September  22nd,  1795,  in  com- 
pany with  the  Union,  a  London  ship,  of  20  guns  and  40  men. 
Off  Cape  Corrientes,  on  the  27th,  in  a  dead  calm,  a  French 
ship-rigged  privateer,  of  18  nine-pounders  and  140  men, 
commanded  by  an  Irishman,  named  O'Brien,  with  the  aid 
of  24  sweeps  laid  him  alongside  of  the  Bolton,  and  engaged 
her  for  an  hour  and-a-half.  Unfortunately  the  Bolton  was 
between  the  privateer  and  the  Union,  so  that  the  latter  vessel 
was  unable  to  fire  a  gun,  for  fear  of  damaging  her  consort. 
A  breeze  springing  up,  the  privateer  out  with  his  studding 
sails,  and  by  the  help  of  his  sweeps,  made  off.  The  Bolton 
arrived  in  the  Mersey  on  November  8th. 


WARS  OF  THE  FRENCH  REVOLUTION.          337 

On  September  25th,  1795,  the  Jamaica,  a  Liverpool 
vessel  in  the  Government  transport  service,  commanded  by 
Captain  James  Farmer,  sailed  from  Gibraltar  with  the  home- 
ward bound  fleet,  and  on  the  7th  of  October,  was  taken  with 
the  rest  of  the  convoy.  The  same  afternoon,  six  of  his  sea- 
men deserted  from  him  in  a  boat,  but  with  the  remainder  of 
his  crew,  the  captain  retook  the  ship,  made  the  French 
prize  crew  prisoners,  and  sailed  for  Portsmouth,  where  he 
arrived  in  safety. 

In  November,  1795,  the  Wilding,  Captain  Pemberton, 
engaged  a  French  privateer,  of  18  guns,  and  full  of  men, 
for  two  hours,  when  the  privateer  blew  up,  and  all  on 
board  perished.  Captain  Pemberton  died  of  his  wounds 
received  in  the  action.  As  a  just  tribute  paid  to  his 
memory,  a  tablet,  bearing  the  following  inscription,  was 
erected  in  St.  James'  Church,  Toxteth  Park,  by  Mr. 
Moses  Benson,  owner  of  the  Wilding; — 

"To  the  Memory  of  Captain  George  Pemberton,  Com- 
mander of  the  ship  Wilding,  of  Liverpool,  who  died  on  the 
aoth  day  of  November,  1795,  of  the  wounds  He  received  in  a 
most  Gallant  Action  with  a  French  Privateer,  of  superior  Force, 
when  bound  on  a  voyage  to  Jamaica,  In  which  Captain 
Pemberton  did  Honor  to  the  Character  of  a  British  Sailor. 
This  Monument  is  erected  by  the  order  of  Moses  Benson,  In 
testimony  of  the  High  respect  he  entertained  for  Captain 
Pemberton,  during  many  years'  faithful  services." 

The  Mersey,  Captain  Jones,  sailed  from  St.  Thomas's  on 
the  2nd  of  February,  1796,  in  company  with  the  Aurora, 
Ceres,  Diana,  and  Atlantic,  all  for  Lancaster.  On  the  5th, 
they  fell  in  with  a  French  privateer,  from  Charlestown, 
mounting  16  four-pounders,  and  95  men,  which  boarded  the 
Diana,  Captain  Fox.  After  a  sanguinary  fight  on  the  deck 
of  the  Diana,  the  privateer  was  obliged  to  make  off  in  a 
shattered  state,  having  received  a  heavy  fire  from  the  other 
ships,  leaving  thirteen  of  her  people  on  board  very  badly 


338  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

wounded,  and  some  dead  on  the  deck.  Three  of  the  Diana's 
brave  crew  were  killed,  and  thirteen  wounded.  The  priva- 
teer had,  in  fact,  caught  a  Tartar,  through  believing  the 
statement  of  a  Danish  skipper  that  the  English  ships  were 
badly  manned,  having  only  twelve  men  each,  which  en- 
couraged the  Frenchman  to  board  the  Diana.  The  Danish 
ship  had  been  lying  alongside  the  others  at  St.  Thomas's, 
and,  after  giving  the  Frenchman  the  above  information,  she 
bore  down  to  see  the  fight. 

In  January,  1796,  within  five  hours'  sail  of  Jamaica,  the 
Elizabeth,  Captain  Jacob  Fletcher,  of  Liverpool,  was 
attacked  by  a  French  privateer  of  superior  force,  which 
she  beat  off  after  a  smart  action,  in  which  the  Frenchman 
had  about  30  men  killed  and  wounded.  In  recognition  of 
his  gallant  and  seamanlike  conduct,  the  underwriters  of 
London  presented  Captain  Fletcher  with  a  piece  of  plate, 
of  the  value  of  100  guineas. 

The  merchants  and  shipowners  of  Liverpool  petitioned 
the  Lords  of  the  Admiralty,  to  send  three  or  four  frigates, 
or  fast-sailing  sloops  of  war,  to  cruise,  from  March  to 
December,  on  the  coast  of  Norway,  from  the  Naze  along 
that  coast  to  the  eastward,  and  across  the  Slieve  to  the 
coast  of  Jutland.  Likewise,  for  two  or  three  frigates,  or 
fast-sailing  sloops  of  war,  to  cruise  from  Duncan's  Bay 
Head,  on  the  north-east  coast  of  Scotland,  to  the  Shetland 
Islands,  for  the  protection  of  English  vessels  trading  to  and 
from  those  parts.  The  merchants  and  shipowners  of  Hull 
also  petitioned  to  the  same  effect. 

The  Diana,  Captain  Pince,  from  Africa  and  Demerara  for 
Liverpool,  captured  the  Rosanna,  from  Surinam  to  Amster- 
dam, and  sent  her  to  Falmouth. 

The  Ranger,  Captain  Wilson,  from  Africa  to  the  West 
Indies,  was  taken  to  windward  of  Barbadoes  by  a  French 
privateer,  of  16  guns,  after  an  action  of  two  hours,  and 
carried  into  Curacoa,  where  Captain  Wilson  died  soon  after. 


WARS  OF  THE  FRENCH  REVOLUTION.  339 

Two  of  his  men  were  killed  in  the  action.      The  Ranger 
was  recaptured  and  carried  to  Barbadoes. 

"On  the  i6th  inst.,"  says  a  letter  from  Madras,  dated 
January  23rd,  1796,  "arrived  the  schooner  Fame,  Captain 
Robertson,  from  Calcutta.  On  the  yth,  Captain  Robertson, 
being  in  the  latitude  of  18  North,  fell  in  with  the  Modeste 
privateer,  when  she  immediately  gave  chase  to  the  Fame, 
but  the  latter,  being  a  swift  sailer,  fortunately  escaped. 
Captain  Robertson,  a  few  hours  after,  saw  a  large  ship 
standing  towards  him,  which  brought  him  to  by  firing  a 
shot  athwart  his  forefoot,  and  a  boat,  with  an  officer,  being 
sent  on  board  the  Fame,  the  strange  vessel  was  found  to  be 
the  Sally,  Captain  Brown,  one  of  the  Company's  extra 
ships,  a  beautiful  vessel  of  600  tons,  and  mounting  24  guns, 
9  twelve-pounders,  five  months  from  Liverpool,  and  had 
not  touched  at  any  place,  or  seen  a  single  sail  during  the 
whole  voyage.  Captain  Robertson  having,  to  the  inquiry 
of  '  what  news  '  ?  answered  that  the  Modeste,  a  French 
privateer  of  20  guns,  was  within  a  few  hours  sail  of  them, 
the  crew  of  the  Sally  instantly  gave  three  cheers,  loudly 
exclaiming :  '  Captain  Brown  ;  you  have  forty-two  old 
privateersmen  on  board:  only  run  us  alongside  this  French- 
man, and  we  will  shew  him  what  can  be  done  for  the 
honour  of  Liverpool.'  Captain  Brown  instantly  complied, 
the  guns  were  run  out,  the  ship  cleared  for  action,  and  in 
five  minutes  the  Sally  proceeded,  under  all  the  canvas  she 
could  crowd,  in  chase  of  the  enemy  ;  and  should  she  be  so 
fortunate  as  to  fall  in  with  the  Modeste,  we  have  no  doubt 
but  that,  'for  the  honour  of  Liverpool,' the  Modeste  will 
accompany  the  good  ship  Sally  to  her  moorings  off  Calcutta." 

On  the  3Oth  of  March,  1796,  the  Ferina,  with  a  cargo 
of  salt,  from  Liverpool  to  Riga,  a  new  ship  belonging 
to  "  Mr.  Gladstones,"*  and  commanded  by  Captain  James 

*  Probably  Mr.  (afterwards  Sir)  John  Gladstone,  father  of  the  Right  Hon.  W, 
E.  Gladstone. 


340  THE  LIVERPOOL   PRIVATEERS. 

Handyside,  was  captured  off  the  coast  of  Norway,  by  a 
small  French  privateer,  of  8  guns  and  28  men,  and  carried 
into  Farsund. 

To  be  "a  free  and  accepted  Mason"  was  not  without  its 
advantages,  even  in  dealing  with  French  privateers,  at  this 
period,  as  we  find  in  the  case  of  Captain  May,  of  the  Susannah. 
About  half-past  six  in  the  morning  of  the  6th  of  March, 
1796,  he  discovered  two  sail  ahead,  bearing  W.,  distant  two 
miles,  lying  to  under  bare  poles.  Perceiving  they  were 
Frenchmen,  he  made  his  ship  ready  for  action.  They 
proved  to  be  two  privateer  schooners,  one  of  16  guns  (nine 
and  twelve-pounders)  and  100  men;  the  other  of  6  four- 
pounders  and  50  men.  At  seven,  one  of  them  came  up  and 
attempted  to  board  him.  He  poured  a  broadside  into  her, 
and  she  dropped  under  his  stern.  The  other  vessel  bore 
down  on  his  starboard  quarter,  and  both  privateers  hoisted 
the  bloody  flag  on  the  foretop-gallant  mast.  In  this  situa- 
tion, with  one  enemy  raking  him  fore  and  aft,  and  the  other 
laying  on  his  quarter,  Captain  May  found  it  impossible  to 
sustain  the  engagement  any  longer,  or  to  make  his  escape, 
and  struck,  after  an  action  of  three  quarters  of-an-hour. 
Finding  him  to  be  a  Freemason,  the  French  commanders 
allowed  Captain  May  to  depart  in  an  American  vessel, 
which  was  present  during  the  action.  The  Susannah  was 
recaptured  by  the  Favourite  sloop,  and  carried  into  Barba- 
does. 

All  owners  and  masters  of  vessels  taking  on  board  guns 
for  their  defence,  were  required  to  procure  a  license  for  that 
purpose,  from  the  Lords  of  the  Admiralty.  The  Act  passed 
in  the  24th  of  George  III.,  only  allowed  them  to  have  two 
carriage  guns,  not  more  than  four-pounders,  and  two 
muskets,  for  every  ten  men.  Vessels  found  with  more  on 
board,  without  a  license,  were  subject  to  seizure  and  for- 
feiture. A  caution  to  this  effect  was  published  in  April, 
1796. 


WARS  OF  THE  FRENCH  REVOLUTION.  341 

Captain  Wright,  of  the  Ann,  writing  from  Barbadoes,  on 
the  2ist  of  March,  1796,  to  his  owners  in  Liverpool,  says:— 
"Yesterday,  to  windward  of  this  island,  I  was  attacked  by 
a  long  schooner  privateer,  of  16  guns,  with  a  great  number  of 
swivels  and  small  arms,  and  full  of  men,  which,  after  an  engage- 
ment of  two  hours  and  a  half,  we  beat  off.  He  seemed  much 
disabled,  as  he  shewed  no  other  sail  after  he  left  us,  whilst  in 
sight,  but  a  piece  of  foresail.  The  disabled  state  of  my  own 
vessel  totally  prevented  me  following  him,  could  I  for  a  moment 
have  had  such  an  intention,  the  fore-mast  being  shot  one-third 
through,  the  fore  top-gallant-mast  shot  away,  fore  and  main 
topmast  stays  and  mizen  stay  gone,  main  yard  shot  through  in 
the  slings,  the  braces,  staysail  haulyards,  chief  part  of  the 
running  rigging  and  sails  cut  to  pieces,  and  the  boats  stove  ; 
though  fortunately  none  of  my  small  crew  (only  25  in  number) 
was  killed,  and  but  two  slightly  wounded.  Every  encomium  is 
due  to  my  officers  and  ship's  crew  ;  and  too  much  cannot  be 
said  in  praise  of  their  bravery  and  good  conduct  on  the 
occasion." 

The  Brothers,  Captain  Cudd,  was  captured  by  the  Morgan 
Rattler,  French  privateer,  of  14  guns,  commanded  by  John 
Coffin  Whitney,  of  L'Orient.  The  privateer,  and  six  prizes 
which  he  had  taken,  were  all  captured  by  the  Suffisante 
British  sloop  of  war,  14  guns,  and  it  was  a  fine  sight  to  see 
the  little  vessel  sailing  into  Plymouth  on  the  3Oth  of  June, 
1796,  with  her  seven  prizes.  The  Morgan  Rattler  was 
originally  a  Liverpool  privateer. 

The  Nereus,  Captain  Williams,  arrived  at  Port-au-Prince, 
from  Liverpool,  after  beating  off  two  French  privateers. 
In  November,  1797,  on  her  passage  to  St.  Domingo,  the 
Nereus  had  an  engagement  of  two  hours  with  a  French 
privateer,  of  16  guns,  which  she  beat  off  with  the  loss  of  one 
man  killed,  and  one  wounded.  The  Recovery,  Captain 
Needham,  had  a  narrow  escape  from  a  privateer,  which  kept 
up  a  running  fire  for  two  hours,  but  found  the  Recovery's 
two  stern  chasers  too  heavy,  and  dropped  the  pursuit. 


342  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

The  Fame,  Captain  Bennett,  recaptured  the  brig  Bernard, 
laden  with  coffee  and  cotton  for  Messrs.  Neilson  &  Heath- 
cote. 

The  schooner  Thomas,  Captain  Bosworth,  of  Martinique, 
belonging  to  Messrs.  Thomas  Gudgeon  and  Co.,  sent  to 
cruise  off  Surinam  against  the  Dutch,  fell  in  with  a  Dutch 
fleet,  from  Surinam  bound  for  Holland,  without  convoy. 
Captain  Bosworth  gave  chase,  and  brought  twelve  of  them  to, 
but  he  could  only  man  five,  which  he  carried  into  St.  Pierre. 
They  were  described  as  ''amazing  large  ships,  and  five  of 
the  richest  prizes  taken  this  war."  Their  united  cargoes 
consisted  of  1,240,682  Ibs.  of  coffee,  671  hogsheads  of  sugar, 
244  bales  of  cotton,  and  a  quantity  of  cocoa.  The  Thomas 
had  previously  captured  a  valuable  ship,  laden  with  coffee, 
from  the  same  place.  The  remaining  part  of  the  fleet  was 
taken  the  same  day  by  two  British  frigates.  Out  of  72  sail, 
69  were  captured. 

At  ten  p.m.,  on  the  i2th  of  August,  1796,  on  her  voyage 
to  the  coast  of  Africa,  the  slave  schooner  Harlequin,  Captain 
Topping,  belonging  to  Messrs.  T.  &  W.  Earle,  fell  in  with 
a  French  privateer,  who  came  up  within  gunshot,  and  fired 
his  bow  chasers  at  them,  which  was  returned  with  their 
two  stern  chasers,  whereupon  the  enemy  shortened  sail, 
watching  them  all  that  night.  They  altered  their  course 
several  times  in  hope  of  escaping,  but  the  Frenchman 
kept  so  close  that,  with  the  advantage  of  night  glasses,  he 
prevented  them  getting  clear.  Captain  Topping  then 
determined  to  try  to  beat  the  enemy  off,  and  got  everything 
ready  for  action.  At  three  a.m.,  he  made  her  out  to  be  a 
long,  black  brig,  pierced  for  16  guns,  and  she  then  made  sail 
to  run  alongside  of  him,  with  the  intention  of  boarding,  but 
was  prevented  by  the  play  of  the  Harlequin's  stern  chasers. 
A  general  action  immediately  ensued,  which  was  kept  up 
with  equal  spirit  on  each  side  for  thirteen  hours.  During 
this  engagement,  the  Frenchman  attempted  to  board  several 


WARS  OF  THE  FRENCH  REVOLUTION.  343 

times,  but  Captain  Topping  himself  taking  the  helm,  by  a 
watchful  steerage  frustrated  his  design,  either  of  boarding 
or  doing  any  material  damage  to  the  Harlequin,  which, 
with  all  sails  up,  made  the  best  of  her  way,  the  enemy  in 
hot  pursuit.  When  a  lucky  shot  from  the  slaver  damaged 
his  rigging,  the  Frenchman  dropped  astern  to  repair,  and 
again  followed  them,  and  this  happened  repeatedly  during 
the  action.  Captain  Topping  being  informed  by  the  crew 
that  all  their  shot  was  expended,  gave  orders  to  fire  writh 
copper  dross,  which  was  accordingly  done  for  some  time. 
Finding,  at  length,  that  it  was  in  vain  to  resist  without  proper 
ammunition,  and  hard  to  be  shot  at  without  a  return,  Captain 
Topping,  at  the  request  of  all  the  crew,  who,  till  then  had 
behaved  with  the  greatest  bravery,  ordered  the  colours  to  be 
struck,  and  the  privateer  took  possession  of  the  Harlequin. 
She  proved  to  be  the  L'Aventure,  of  Bordeaux,  of  14  guns 
and  90  men,  commanded  by  Pierre  Lautorine,  who  kept 
Captain  Topping  and  his  men  nine  days,  and  then  put  them 
on  board  a  Swedish  dogger,  which  landed  them  at  Figueira. 
The  Harlequin  was  recaptured  by  the  Sugar-Cane,  of 
London,  and  carried  to  Cape  Coast.  She  afterwards  traded 
on  the  Windward  Coast,  under  the  command  of  Captain 
Higgin,  but,  early  in  1797,  we  hear  of  her  again,  under  the 
command  of  Captain  Topping,  recapturing  from  the  French 
a  Swedish  ship,  which  she  sent  to  Lisbon  ;  and  in  June, 
1797,  taking,  after  a  running  fight  of  an  hour  and-a-half, 
off  Cape  Finisterre,  the  Spanish  brig  privateer  Signora  del 
Carma,  of  9  guns  (nine-pounders),  a  number  of  brass  swivels, 
and  70  men.  On  her  passage  to  Angola,  in  February,  1798, 
the  Harlequin  beat  off  a  French  privateer,  of  14  guns,  and 
full  of  men,  after  an  engagement  of  three  hours.  On  the 
2oth  of  December,  1798,  the  Harlequin,  bound  to  Africa, 
was  taken  by  the  La  Mouche  French  privateer,  of  18  guns 
and  200  men,  of  Bordeaux,  which,  on  the  i7th,  had  taken 
the  Union,  of  Lancaster,  Captain  Thompson,  after  a 


344  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVA  TEERS. 

severe  action  of  three  hours  and-a-half.  The  Frenchman 
gave  the  Harlequin  to  Captain  Thompson,  with  89  English 
prisoners,  on  condition  that  he  should  proceed  with  them 
to  England,  and  get  them  exchanged  for  the  same  number 
of  French. 

Captain  Smerdon,  of  the  Bud,  writing  from  Jamaica  to 
his  owners  in  Liverpool,  in  October,  1796,  says  :— 

"We  were  chased  on  our  passage  from  the  Windward 
Islands  by  a  French  privateer,  and  as  I  found  he  sailed  faster 
than  we  did,  after  we  had  got  everything  prepared  to  receive 
him,  I  hove  to.  On  his  coming  up,  he  fired  several  broadsides 
at  us,  before  I  returned  him  a  shot,  as  from  the  length  of  his 
guns  his  shot  went  over  us,  when  ours  would  not  touch  him. 
At  last,  the  fellow  in  going  about  missed  stays,  and  was  obliged 
to  wear,  which  brought  him  close  to  us,  and  I  immediately 
gave  him  the  contents  of  our  starboard  guns,  then  wore  round 
and  gave  him  the  larboard  ones,  which  were  well  loaded  with 
round  and  grape.  We  did  him  considerable  damage,  as  he 
immediately  made  sail  from  us,  and  as  the  wind  was  very  light, 
he  was  able  to  get  away.  I  chased  him  about  an  hour,  and 
then  bore  away.  Some  of  his  shot  went  through  our  sides, 
just  above  the  bends,  but  he  did  us  no  other  damage." 

On  the  8th  of  October,  1796,  the  ship  Backhouse,  Captain 
James  Flanagan,  on  her  voyage  from  Liverpool  to  Martin- 
ique, was  chased  by  a  French  cutter  brig,  of  16  guns,  full 
of  men,  from  eight  in  the  morning  till  nine  at  night,  when 
she  came  up,  and  began  to  fire  at  them.  Being  dubious  of 
her  all  day,  Captain  Flanagan  had  made  every  preparation 
to  give  her  a  warm  reception,  and  when  he  found  really 
what  she  was,  he  illuminated  the  ship  with  his  side  lanthorns 
to  every  gun  ;  in  with  all  his  small  sails,  backed  his  main- 
topsail,  and  fired  a  shot,  reserving  his  broadside  till  the 
Frenchman  came  alongside.  Contrary  to  expectation,  the 
enemy  sheered  off,  but  followed  them  till  daylight  next 
morning,  compelling  them  to  keep  their  quarters  all  night, 


WARS  OF  THE  FRENCH  REVOLUTION.  345 

for  fear  of  attack.  The  next  morning,  the  Frenchman  renewed 
his  visit,  under  English  colours,  which  he  hauled  down  three 
times,  and  fired  a  shot  each  time,  as  much  as  to  say, 
"Strike!"  Captain  Flanagan,  writing  to  his  owners, 
says  :— 

"But  we  never  minded  ;  we  kept  everything  clear,  and  the 
g-uns  pointed  at  him,  waiting-  his  coming  close  to  us,  so  that 
we  were  sure  our  shot  would  tell,  as  we  had  none  to  waste, 
when  he  down  English  colours  altogether  and  up  French ; 
sheered  under  our  quarter,  and  gave  us  a  broadside,  which  we 
returned  directly,  which  staggered  him  very  much,  and  I 
believe  wounded  his  mainmast,  as  we  afterwards  saw  him 
repairing.  But  his  men,  four  or  five,  came  tumbling  out  of 
their  main-top  in  a  terrible  hurry;  nevertheless  he  continued  his 
fire  about  one  hour  successively  at  us,  till  our  last  two  cart- 
ridges were  handing  out  from  the  cabin  by  one  of  the  boys, 
who  said,  'Sir,  here  is  the  two  last  cartridges,'  which  struck 
me,  but  not  with  fear,  when  I  exclaimed,  'Never  mind,  there 
is  luck  in  those  two,  I  hope.'  I  had  not  well  spoke,  when  he 
made  sail  from  us,  on  which  we  made  sail  after  him,  and  con- 
tinued our  chace  till  he  got  clear;  when  we  resumed  our  course, 
but  he  came  down  on  us  again  on  Monday,  after  repairing  his 
mainmast,  but  we  again  met  him ;  and  he,  seeing  our  intention 
as  he  supposed,  he  sheered  off  again,  and  we  after  him  till  he 
was  out  of  sight.  Commodore  Blanket  was  kind  enough  to 

o  o 

spare  me  seven  casks  of  powder,  which  I  paid  him  for  with  a 
stock  of  potatoes,  etc.      Our  engagement,  lat.  28.30  N.  long 
24  W." 

In  July,  1797,  on  the  passage  from  St.  Vincent  to  Liver- 
pool, the  Backhouse  had  an  engagement  with  a  French 
schooner  privateer,  of  16  six-pounders,  and  full  of  men. 
Captain  Flanagan's  crew  consisted  only  of  15  men,  in- 
cluding the  officers,  by  whose  steady  and  brave  conduct, 
aided  by  the  gallant  intrepidity  of  three  gentlemen  who 
were  passengers,  he  fortunately  beat  her  off,  after  a  warm 
action  of  two  hours  and-a-half,  without  a  single  man  on 


346  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

board  being  hurt,  but  with  his  running  rigging  much  cut 
by  the  enemy's  shot,  and  his  ammunition  nearly  all 
expended. 

Captain  John  Mills,  of  the  slave  ship  Sally,  of  8  four- 
pounders  and  23  men,  writing  from  River  Rionoones,  on 
October  roth,  1796,  tells  how  he  baffled  Monsieur  Renaud:— 

"  I  arrived  at  Isle  de  Los  the  25th  of  August.  On  the  5th 
of  September,  being  thick,  hazy  weather,  the  ship  Mentor,  M. 
Renue,  from  Goree,  carrying  20  guns,  nine  and  six-pounders, 
was  observed  standing  in  to  the  harbour,  under  English  colours, 
and  as  we  expected  the  Manchester,  and  Falmouth,  to  arrive 
daily  from  Liverpool,  we  took  her  to  be  one  of  those  ships,  but 
when  she  came  close  alongside  of  us,  she  hauled  down  the 
English  and  hoisted  French  colours,  and  gave  us  a  broadside. 

"  The  people  being  all  in  good  health  and  spirits,  we  deter- 
mined not  to  give  the  ship  up,  but  immediately  cut  the  cables, 
and  set  the  sails  to  the  best  advantage,  although  the  shot  came 
very  fast  upon  us.  As  soon  as  that  was  done,  we  fired  a 
broadside,  and  hauled  our  wind  to  beat  out  of  the  harbour,  and 
get  clear.  The  second  tack  of  the  privateer,  away  went  his 
main-top-gallant-yard  in  the  slings,  and  then  the  Sally  gained 
on  him  fast,  till  we  got  clear  of  the  islands,  when  the  flood  tide 
making,  he  could  not  get  out  after  us.  We  stood  out  to  sea 
for  six  days,  and  lay  to  four  more,  in  order  to  give  them  time 
to  get  away.  I  then  bore  away  for  the  River  Riopongos  ;  but 
on  making  the  land  on  the  i7th,  the  privateer  and  her  prize, 
the  Manchester,  hove  in  sight,  almost  within  gunshot,  about 
three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon. 

"  How  to  get  clear  of  them  then,  I  did  not  know,  but  hauled 
my  wind  to  the  southward,  till  dark,  and  then  wore  right  round 
to  the  northward,  in  order  to  get  in  shore  of  her,  which  I  luckily 
effected,  and  got  into  the  River  Rionoones  safe  in  the  morning, 
where  I  now  lie  300  miles  up  the  river.  I  lost  three  boats,  two 
anchors,  and  cables,  but  have  got  another  anchor  since  my 
arrival  here.  I  have  been  told  by  Mr.  Jackson,  of  Isle  de  Los, 
that  Renue  declared,  if  he  took  us,  he  would  put  us  all  on 


WARS  OF  THE  FRENCH  REVOLUTION.  347 

shore  on  a  desolate  island,  with  a  biscuit  round  each  of  our 
necks,  for  daring  to  engage  him.  He  did  not  destroy  any 
property  on  shore,  but  cut  the  buoys  from  our  anchors,  lest  we 
should  recover  them  again  ;  and  had  heard  of  our  going  to 
Riopongos,  which  induced  him  to  cruize  off  there  for  us.  I 
expect  to  be  off  the  coast  in  all  January  next." 

Monsieur  Renaud's  squadron,  having  taken  and  destroyed 
many  British  ships  on  the  coast  of  Africa,  two  Liverpool 
vessels  were  sent  out  to  punish  him.  On  the  25th  of 
December,  1797,  the  Ellis,  Captain  Souter,  and  the  St. 
Anne,  Captain  Jones  (both  belonging  to  Liverpool)  ;  the 
Dedalus  frigate,  Captain  Ball,  and  the  Hornet,  sloop-of-war, 
Captain  Mash,  arrived  at  Isle  de  Los,  after  sinking  the  Bell, 
and  doing  some  damage  to  the  town  and  fort  of  Goree.  The 
Ellis  and  the  Hornet  cruised  off  that  place,  and  took  the 
Ocean  and  the  Prosperity,  two  of  Renaud's  cruisers,  and 
recaptured  the  Quaker,  with  388  slaves  on  board,  and  also 
an  American  ship  called  the  President.  Early  in  1798,  it 
was  stated  that  the  two  Liverpool  ships  had  totally  destroyed 
Renaud's-squadron,  with  the  exception  only  of  his  own  ship, 
which  managed  to  escape.  On  their  passage  to  Africa,  in 
the  same  year,  the  Ellis  and  the  St.  Anne  recaptured  the 
Hannah,  from  Mogadore  for  London.  Captain  Souter, 
writing  to  his  owners  from  Barbadoes,  on  the  3rd  of  July, 
1798,  gives  the  following  account  of  an  affair  with  a  French 
frigate,  on  the  coast  of  Africa  :— 

"  On  the  3oth  of  May,  lying  at  Cape  Mount,  saw  a  large 
ship  coming  from  the  southward  ;  made  the  signal  to  the  St. 
Anne  to  get  under  way  immediately.  The  Pilgrim,  having  a 
copy  of  our  signals,  got  under  way  also.  As  soon  as  the  St. 
Anne  came  up,  I  took  my  station  astern  of  her,  finding  it  was 
impossible  for  her  to  escape  if  I  left  her,  thinking  better  to 
risque  an  action,  than  bear  the  name  of  a  runaway ;  the  Pilgrim 
being  a  long  way  astern  shortened  sail  for  her  to  come  up.  The 
French  frigate  (as  I  was  afterwards  informed  by  Captain 


348  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

Mentor,  who  was  unfortunately  captured  by  her),  was  called 
the  Convention,  Captain  Roscow,  two  months  from  Dunkirk, 
carries  32  guns,  and  200  men,  had  taken  four  ships.  She  bore 
down  on  the  St.  Anne  and  Ellis,  and  commenced  a  brisk  fire, 
which  we  returned  with  all  the  strength  we  were  masters  of. 
After  a  little,  finding1  us  rather  stronger  than  she  expected,  she 
filled,  I  supposed  with  an  intention  to  rake  the  St.  Anne.  I 
immediately  filled,  and  shot  ahead  of  the  St.  Anne  to  leeward 
and  met  her,  being  little  more  than  a  good  musquet  shot  apart, 
and  received  her  broadside,  being  well  prepared  to  pay  her  for 
her  trouble.  She,  finding  our  shot  heavier  than  she  expected, 
made  sail  in  a  greater  hurry  than  she  took  it  in.  My  running 
rigging  being  very  much  cut,  she  got  out  of  reach  of  my  guns 
before  I  could  set  my  top  gallant  sails;  chased  him  till  dark, 
then  wore  round,  and  joined  the  St.  Anne,  who  was  a  long  way 
astern." 

The  Ellis,  in  1800,  recaptured  the  ship  La  Fraternite, 
Captain  Rockliffe,  which  had  been  taken  on  her  passage  to 
Africa,  by  a  French  privateer  of  22  guns  and  200  men. 

On  the  ist  of  November,  1796,  in  N.  lat.  42.30.  W.  long. 
16,  a  French  privateer,  of  18  guns  (12  nine-pounders,  and 
6  six-pounders),  with  2  swivels,  and  a  crew  of  90  men, 
ranged  alongside  of  the  slave  ship  Ann,  Captain  Catterall, 
hailed  her  and  then  sheered  off,  but  came  up  again  the  next 
morning  under  their  starboard  quarter,  when  the  action 
began  on  both  sides,  and  continued  with  great  spirit  for 
about  an  hour.  The  Ann,  having  sustained  several  broad- 
sides from  the  enemy,  was  greatly  disabled  in  her  sails  and 
rigging,  had  her  boats  stove,  and  received  very  considerable 
damage.  Her  crew,  seeing  the  great  superiority  of  the 
enemy,  fled  from  their  quarters,  and  ran  below,  leaving  the 
captain  and  his  officers  alone  to  defend  the  vessel,  which,  as 
it  was  then  impossible,  obliged  them  to  strike  their  colours. 
"  We  are  sorry  to  state,"  says  the  Liverpool  paper,  "  wrhat 
may  at  first  appear  repugnant  to  the  character  of  British 


WARS  OF  THE  FRENCH  REVOLUTION.  349 

seamen,  which,  we  trust,  will  not  be  tarnished,  when  we 
inform  our  readers  that  the  crew  was  in  great  part  composed 
of  Americans  and  foreigners,  not  interested  in  the  preser- 
vation of  that  exalted  name."  After  the  lapse  of  a  century, 
England  is  more  than  ever  dependent  on  foreigners  to  man 
her  merchant  navy.  Will  they,  in  the  next  great  naval  war, 
think  as  much  of  preserving  her  exalted  name,  as  of  quietly 
running  her  ships  into  an  enemy's  harbour? 

The  Comivallis,  Captain  Tate,  from  Liverpool,  arrived  at 
Jamaica  in  34  days,  after  beating  off  two  French  privateers, 
full  of  men,  both  of  which  attempted  to  board  her. 

The  Swan,  Captain  John  Walls,  one  of  the  London  cheese 
ships,  gave  a  French  privateer  such  a  warm  reception,  on 
mere  suspicion  of  his  intentions,  that  he  bore  away  before 
the  wind,  without  attacking  the  Swan,  or  the  Apollo,  which 
was  in  company  with  her. 

The  following  letter,  dated  November  3Oth,  1796,  was 
written  off  Barbadoes,  by  Captain  Ratcliff  Shimmins,  of  the 
slave  ship  Tarleton,  belonging  to  Messrs.  Tarleton  &  Rigg, 
of  Liverpool  :— 

"  On  the  28th  instant,  about  forty  leagues  to  the  eastward 
of  Barbadoes,  at  daylight  in  the  morning-,  we  fell  in  with  a 
large  French  schooner,  of  12  guns  ;  after  giving  him  a  broad- 
side, he  bore  away.  Same  day  at  meridian,  rather  hazy,  saw 
a  ship  to  the  S.W.  standing  to  the  northward,  about  six  miles 
distant.  As  we  got  nearer,  perceived  her  to  be  a  ship  of 
force.  Did  not  like  her  appearance,  but  found  it  impossible  to 
avoid  her,  and  to  induce  him  to  shew  colours,  hauled  our 
wind,  hoisted  an  ensign,  and  fired  a  gun  to  windward. 
On  which,  he  hauled  up  his  courses,  down  stay  sails,  and  fired 
two  guns  to  windward,  then  hoisted  the  bloody  flag  at  the 
fore-top-gallant  masthead.  We  then  saw  what  he  was  ; 
kept  our  wind,  which  he  perceiving,  made  after  us.  Finding 
my  people  all  healthy  and  well  disposed  (particularly  my 
officers),  and  with  the  assistance  of  the  best  of  our  slaves, 
prepared  for  action,  and  about  two  o'clock  he  got  alongside 


350  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

of  us,  hoisted  his  French  ensign,  and  before  there  was  any 
time  for  hailing,  gave  us  a  broadside,  which  we  returned 
warmer  than  he  wished.  The  action  continued  without  ever 
ceasing,  till  five  o'clock,  when  he  sheered  off,  and  stood  to  the 
northward.  The  only  damage  we  received  was  in  our  sails 
and  rigging  ;  not  a  man  hurt.  She  was  as  handsome  a 
frigate-built  ship  as  I  have  seen,  mounted  20  guns,  nine- 
pounders,  on  her  main  deck,  and  eight  guns  on  her  quarter 
deck ;  had  much  the  appearance  of  the  Princess  Royal, 
formerly  of  Liverpool. 

"  My  people  were  in  high  spirits,  and  if  we  could  have  got 
alongside  of  him  again,  we  would,  I  am  certain,  have  saved 
them  the  trouble  of  taking  down  their  bloody  flag,  but  our 
rigging  and  sails  being  a  good  deal  cut,  partly  prevented  us. 
He  was  much  more  shattered  than  us,  and  his  hull  pretty 
well  moth  eaten,  his  quarter  was  at  one  time  so  well  cleared, 
with  our  eighteen-pounders,  that  we  suppose  a  number  of 
them  slept  under  their  arms.  Nothing  but  his  superior 
sailing  saved  him  at  last.  We  expended  five  barrels  of  gun- 
powder, and  the  next  afternoon,  about  five  o'clock,  made  the 
Island  of  Barbadoes." 

"Captain  Peter  M'Ouie,  who  commanded  the  ship 
Thomas,  of  Liverpool,"  says  Brooke,  "was  as  brave  and 
respectable  a  man  as  ever  commanded  a  vessel  sailing  out 
of  Liverpool  ;  and  he  several  times  signalised  himself  in 
engagements  with  vessels  of  the  enemy,  of  superior  force. 
The  Thomas  carried  16  guns,  of  heavy  calibre,  and  sailed 
from  Liverpool,  under  his  command,  with  a  crew  of  78 
men,  and  besides  being  adapted  for  the  regular  trade*  in 
which  she  was  employed,  she  was  completely  equipped  as  a 
privateer.  On  the  2nd  of  January,  1797,  she  encountered  a 
French  National  corvette,  mounting  18  guns,  twelve- 
pounders,  and  four  carronades  of  very  heavy  metal,  and 


*  The  slave  trade  ;  in  dealing  with  which,  we  shall  have    more   to  say   of  this 
vessel. 


WARS  OF  THE  FRENCH  REVOLUTION.          351 

between  200  and  300  men,  and  a  severe  engagement  took 
place,  the  vessels  being  so  close  together  that  the  enemy's 
bowsprit  was  entangled  in  the  foreshrouds  of  the  Thomas, 
and  so  remained  forty-seven  minutes,  whilst  the  enemy 
threw  on  board  hand  grenades,  stink  pots,  and  other 
missiles,  besides  keeping  up  an  incessant  fire  from  the  tops 
upon  her  deck.  After  making  some  attempts  to  board, 
and  after  sustaining  considerable  injury,  and  much  loss  of 
life  amongst  her  crew,  the  French  vessel  was  beaten  off." 

In  a  letter  to  his  owner,  Mr.  Thomas  Clarke,  dated  at 
sea,  in  lat.  38°  56',  January  5th/  1797,  Captain  M'Ouie 
himself  supplies  full  particulars  of  the  engagement,  which 
are  as  follow  : — 

"On  the  2nd  instant,  in  lat.  37.  40  scudding  under  easy 
sail,  the  man  whom  I  had  stationed  at  the  masthead,  gave  the 
signal  of  a  sail  ahead,  and  bearing  right  down  for  me  ;  I, 
however,  judged  it  most  prudent  to  keep  the  course  I  was 
then  steering.  On  the  vessel  approaching  nigher,  I  discovered 
her  to  be  an  armed  vessel.  Of  course,  I  made  the  necessary 
arrangement  to  act  on  the  defensive,  for  the  preservation  of 
the  Thomas  and  cargo.  The  vessel  having  come  within  gun- 
shot of  the  Thomas,  I  fired  a  gun,  and  hoisted  my  colours,  to 
learn  who  or  what  she  was,  when  I  found  her  to  be  a  French 
National  corvette,  mounting  18  guns,  twelve  pounders,  with 
four  carronades,  of  very  heavy  metal,  with  from  200  to  300 
men.  The  shot  of  one  of  the  carronades  made  a  hole  in  the 
side  of  the  Thomas's  cabin,  of  ten  inches  diameter,  but  no 
material  injury  accrued  therefrom. 

"  But  to  commence  with  a  detail  of  the  whole  action.  The 
corvette  steering  right  down  upon  me,  I  hoisted  my  colours, 
giving  her  a  shot,  which  for  some  time  was  not  answered.  I, 
however,  took  every  necessary  precaution.  The  corvette  being 
now  abreast  of  me,  I  gave  her  a  full  broadside,  which  was 
answered  by  several  guns,  miserably  conducted,  and  from 
which  I  received  no  damage.  The  corvette  kept  her  course  for 
some  time,  and  I  expected  had  no  further  intention  of  engaging, 


r2  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

which  was  wished  for  on  my  part,  being-  agreeable  to  your 
instructions.  I  therefore  continued  my  course. 

"In  a  few  hours  the  Frenchman  about  ship,  hoisted  his 
bloody  pendant  for  boarding,  made  sail,  and  in  a  short  time 
(he  sailing  comparatively  speaking,  two  feet  for  my  one),  came 
off  my  larboard  quarter,  and  in  a  very  peremptory  manner, 
ordered  me  to  haul  down  my  colours,  otherwise  he  would  grant 
me  no  quarter  whatever.  I  hailed  him  through  my  Linguist, 
that  if  he  would  come  alongside,  I  would  treat  upon  more 
amicable  terms,  but  to  no  effect.  He  then,  like  a  man,  laid 
his  ship  alongside  of  me,  with  his  bowsprit  entangled  in  my 
fore-shrouds,  when  the  action  became  general,  and  for  forty- 
seven  minutes  remained  in  this  position,  with  a  determined 
resolution  to  board  me  on  his  part,  and  a  determination  on  mine 
to  resist  him  to  the  last.  His  bowsprit  being  thus  entangled, 
I  with  my  own  hands,  lashed  my  shrouds  to  his  main-top-mast 
back-stay,  which,  if  the  lashing  had  not  been  cut,  I  am  convinced 
you  would  have  had  a  good  account  of  her.  The  men  were  all 
armed  with  tomahawks,  etc.  Her  tops  were  all  crowded  with 
men,  and  from  so  well  continued  and  kept  up  fire  of  small  arms, 
I  am  surprised  the  injury  was  not  greater.  The  enemy  threw 
on  board  hand  granadoes,  stink-pots  (five  and  twenty  or  thirty 
stink-pots  and  hand  granadoes  I  have  now  on  board),  marling- 
spikes,  boarding-pikes,  and  even  the  arm  of  his  ship's  head. 

"  My  first  broadside,  I  am  assured,  injured  her  masts  very 
materially,  his  foretopmast  and  jib-boom  being  both  shot  away. 
In  the  general  part  of  the  action,  my  quarter  guns  tore  him  to 
pieces,  the  carnage  was  dreadful,  sweeping  every  thing  before 
them,  being  both  well  loaded  with  grape,  ball,  and  canister 
shot,  and  well  conducted.  After  the  smartness  of  the  action 
was  over,  the  fellow  gained  on  me  much,  and  shot  ahead  of  me 
like  an  arrow  (in  plain  truth,  I  never  saw  a  vessel  sail  so 
remarkably  fast  in  all  my  life),  and  soon  about  ship,  and  went 
astern  of  me,  I  suppose  to  repair  the  injury  sustained  from  my 
guns.  The  same  evening  he  came  several  times  down,  I  believe, 
with  an  idea  of  finding  me  unprepared,  and  to  board  me,  but  I  was 
ever  ready  to  receive  him,  my  men  always  resting  on  their  guns. 


WARS  OF  THE  FRENCH  REVOLUTION.  353 

"The  following-  day,  the  3rd  of  January,  the  fellow  hove 
down  upon  me,  as  if  to  engage,  but  the  cowardly  scoundrel 
never  came  so  near  as  that  one  of  my  shot  could  tell.  I 
therefore  kept  them  in  reserve.  The  whole  of  that  evening-, 
till  four  o'clock  in  the  morning  of  the  4th,  the  fellow  kept 
pestering  me  by  turns.  What  must  my  feelings  be  when  I 
inform  you  that  my  surgeon,  Mr.  James  Beatty,  was  shot 
through  the  head,  and  died  instantaneously  at  my  feet,  on  the 
quarter  deck,  after  having  fired  several  muskets  at  the  enemy. 
I  had  also  one  seaman  shot  through  the  head  (John  Stile)  ;  my 
ship's  steward,  Thomas  Bevington  received  a  shot  through  his 
leg,  but  is  in  fair  way  of  recovering.  My  gunner's  mate  (James 
Hogat),  received  a  shot  through  the  arm,  but  will  soon  be  of 
service  to  me  again.  Several  others  of  my  hearty  crew  received 
small  wounds,  but  of  no  material  consequence.  I  should  be 
wanting  in  feeling  was  I  not  to  observe  with  what  firm 
resolution  the  whole  of  my  small  ship's  company,  consisting  of 
forty-seven,  behaved.  I  am  particularly  indebted  to  Mr.  Gullin 
for  the  grand  manner  in  which  he  worked  the  stern  chasers 
and  quarter  guns,  which  much  injured  the  enemy.  Mr.  Douglas, 
who  commanded  the  main-deck  guns,  his  conduct  was  such 
that  will  ever  reflect  honour  upon  him,  as  well  as  Mr.  Crabbe. 

"My  boatswain  behaved  in  a  grand  manner,  going  through 
the  most  imminent  danger.  I  recommend  him  to  your  notice  ; 
in  fact,  the  whole  of  my  small  crew  behaved  in  the  most  gallant 
and  heroic  manner.  At  two  o'clock  a.m.,  observed  a  fleet  to 
the  S.E.  From  the  number  of  vessels,  I  judged  them  to  be  an 
English  fleet;  four  o'clock  came  within  hail  of  a  small  sloop, 
who  gave  me  to  understand  that  the  fleet  was  from  England, 
under  convoy  of  the  Sheer-ness,  James  Cornwallis,  Esq.,  com- 
mander, to  whom  I  am  particularly  obligated,  he  having  sent 
his  surgeon,  after  finding  my  situation,  to  examine  the  wounds 
of  my  people,  with  a  promise  of  every  assistance." 

This  well-fought  action  was  soon  followed  by  another, 
which  occurred  off  Monte  Video,  in  April,  in  the  same  year, 
when  the  Thomas  fought  a  Spanish  vessel  of  war,  full  of 


354  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

troops,  and  mounting  between  30  and  40  guns.  The 
action  commenced  at  eight  in  the  morning,  and  lasted  until 
half-past  twelve,  with  scarcely  any  intermission,  at  no 
greater  distance  than  musket  or  pistol  shot.  The  Thomas 
suffered  considerably  in  her  hull  and  rigging,  and  in  the 
loss  of  several  of  her  brave  crew ;  and  her  quarter-deck  at 
one  time  took  fire,  in  consequence  of  an  explosion  of  gun- 
powder; yet  Captain  M'Quie  succeeded  in  preserving  his 
vessel,  and  beating  off  the  enemy's  ship.  In  the  same  year 
he  captured  a  ship,  from  Buenos  Ayres,  laden  with  hides, 
tallow,  etc. 

On  the  3rd  of  January,  1797,  at  7  p.m.,  the  ship  King 
Pepple,  Captain  James  Brown,  in  her  passage  to  Barbadoes, 
fell  in  with  a  French  brig,  of  18  guns  and  full  of  men.  At 
7.30  they  commenced  a  smart  action,  and  kept  up  a  hot 
fire  until  10  o'clock,  when  the  privateer  ceased  firing  and 
hauled  her  wind  about  two  miles  from  them.  At  6.0  in-  the 
morning  she  bore  down  upon  them  again,  and  both  ships 
maintained  a  warm  fire  for  about  four  hours,  when  the 
brig  hauled  away,  seemingly  in  very  great  confusion,  her 
sails  and  rigging  much  shattered,  and  with  great  slaughter 
amongst  her  crew.  The  three  last  broadsides  from  the 
King  Pepple,  with  double  charges  of  grape  and  langrage, 
went  home  with  great  effect.  "I  could  plainly  see  the 
people  either  drop  or  dodge  from  the  fire,"  writes  Captain 
Brown.  "  She  having  much  the  advantage  in  sailing,  I 
thought  it  useless  to  follow.  We  expended  nine  barrels  of 
gunpowder.  I  cannot  say  enough  in  behalf  of  my  officers 
and  people,  no  men  could  behave  with  more  spirit  and  good 
conduct ;  fortunately  had  nobody  hurt." 

"On  Tuesday  last,"  says  the  Advertiser,  of  February 
20th,  1797,  "was  launched  from  the  building  yard  of  Mr. 
Edward  Grayson,  a  remarkable  fine  three-decked  ship, 
called  the  Watt,  pierced  for  22  guns  on  her  gun  deck,  built 
for  Richard  Walker,  Esq.,  and  intended  for  the  Jamaica 


WARS  OF  THE  FRENCH  REVOLUTION.          355 

trade.  The  tide  was  very  high,  the  launch  very  fine,  and 
having  a  large  band  of  military  music  on  board,  playing 
martial  tunes,  the  whole  proved  highly  gratifying  to  a  vast 
concourse  of  spectators  which  had  assembled  on  the 
occasion."  Thus  were  war  and  commerce  harmoniously 
blended  together. 

The  Fair  Penitent  privateer,  Captain  Dunlop,  captured 
and  sent  into  Liverpool,  the  Clara  A.  Norbeg,  from  Lisbon 
for  Bilbao,  with  salt,  cocoa,  sugar,  etc. ;  also  a  prize  laden 
with  anchors,  cables,  and  naval  stores,  from  Altona  ;  and 
the  brig  Seahorse,  from  Havre  to  Cadiz,  laden  with  linens 
and  other  merchandise.  The  Forbes,  of  Liverpool,  captured 
and  sent  into  Martinico,  the  Neptune,  from  Surinam  for 
Amsterdam. 

In  March,  1797,  the  Barton,  Captain  Richard  Hall, 
having  parted  company  with  the  Agreeable,  Captain 
McCallum,  on  the  passage  to  Barbadoes,  was  attacked  by 
a  heavy  Spanish  privateer,  of  16  guns  and  120  men,  which 
was  repulsed  after  a  smart  action  of  twenty  minutes.  The 
Spaniard  kept  about  half  a  mile  astern  of  the  Barton  all 
night,  but  on  the  Agreeable  appearing  in  sight  at  daylight 
next  morning,  the  privateer  bore  down  on  both  ships,  when 
a  warm  action  was  fought  for  an  hour  and  forty  minutes, 
resulting  in  the  privateer  sheering  off,  much  damaged  in 
her  sails  and  rigging.  The  Agreeable  had  two  men 
wounded  during  the  engagement. 

The  armed  brig  Swallow,  Captain  John  Maclver,  of  Liver- 
pool, whilst  cruising  off  Leogane,  to  prevent  supplies  being 
carried  in  there,  sent  into  Port-au-Prince  a  large  brig  and 
schooner,  laden  in  America,  with  French  property  on  board. 
He  took  several  other  vessels,  and  saved  the  Fame,  of  Liver- 
pool, from  being  captured  when  parted  from  the  fleet. 

The  owners  of  the  Swallow,  were  Thomas  Twemlow, 
Peter  Maclver,  Samuel  McDowall,  Iver  Maclver,  of  Liver- 
pool, merchants,  and  the  commander,  John  Maclver.  In 


356  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVA  TEERS. 

the  Letter  of  Marque*  granted  to  Captain  Maclver  on  the 
I2th  of  July,  1796,  to  cruise  against  the  French,  the  Swallow 
is  described  as  of  about  256  tons  burthen,  British  built, 
square  stern,  scroll  head,  and  two  masts,  mounted  with  18 
carriage  guns,  carrying  shot  of  six  pounds  weight,  and  no 
swivel  guns,  and  navigated  by  thirty-five  men,  of  whom 
one-third  were  landsmen.  In  the  commission  granted  to 
cruise  against  the  Spaniards  in  January,  1797,  she  is  said  to 
have  twenty  carriage  guns,  carrying  shot  of  six  and  twelve 
pounds  weight,  cohorns,  and  swivel  guns,  and  to  be 
navigated  with  80  officers  and  men.  The  Swallow  was 
not  an  ordinary  privateer,  or  Letter  of  Marque  ship,  but  an 
armed  vessel,  specially  hired  by  Government,  as  will  be  seen 
by  the  following  letter,  addressed  to  Captain  Maclver  by 
Mr.  Huskisson  : — 

"  PARLIAMENT  STREET,  December  yth,  1797. 
"SiR, — I  am  directed  by  Mr.  Dundas  to  desire  that,  on 
the  receipt  of  this  letter,  you  will  put  yourself  under  the  orders 
of  Captain  Lane,  of  His  Majesty's  ship  Acasto,  and  obey  such 
directions  as  you  may  receive  from  him,  until  the  period  of  your 
arrival  at  St.  Domingo,  which  you  will  immediately  report  to 
the  Officer  commanding-  His  Majesty's  Troops  there,  and  obey 
such  further  orders  as  you  may  receive  from  him.  You  will, 
previously  to  your  sailing  from  Portsmouth,  receive  on  board, 
Colonel  de  Cambefort,  with  his  lady  and  family,  and  such  other 
officers  as  may  be  furnished  with  letters  from  me  for  that 
purpose. 

"  I  am,  Sir,  Your  most  obedient,  humble  servant, 

W.   HUSKISSON. 

"To   the   Officer  commanding  the    Swallow,  hired    armed 
vessel." 

As  special  interest  attaches  to  this  vessel,  owing  to  her 
principal  owners  and  commander  being  members  of  that 

*  By  the  courtesy  of  Messrs.  D.  £  C.   Maclver,  we  are  enabled  to  give,  in 
another  part  of  this  volume,  the  full  text  of  the  Letter  of  Marque. 


WARS  OF  THE  FRENCH  REVOLUTION.  357 

famous  Clan  Iver,  which  has  given  to  Liverpool  several 
merchant  princes,  whose  foresight  and  enterprise  have  con- 
tributed greatly  to  the  prosperity  of  the  port,  we  append  the 
following  account  of  the  Clan,  condensed  from  an  elegant 
and  interesting  brochure,  printed  for  private  circulation  : — 

The  Maclvers  were  of  Scandinavian  origin,  but  of  Iver, 
the  prog-enitor  of  the  race  which  bears  his  name,  nothing-  is 
known.  Perhaps  he  landed  upon  the  shores  of  Scotland  from 
his  own  private  ship  of  war,  and  found  some  dear  '  Highland 
Mary/  who  lured  him  from  his  wild  sea  life.  Anyhow,  his 
grandson  or  great-grandson,  Donald  Maclver,  lived  in  the 
reign  of  Alexander  II.,  A.D.  1219,  and  was  the  father  of  Iver 
Crom,  the  conqueror  of  Cowal.  The  ancestors  of  the  race 
were  among  the  chieftains,  who,  in  1221,  fought  under 
Alexander  II.  against  Somerled  the  Younger,  and  were 
rewarded  with  Baronies  in  Argyll  formed  out  of  the  lands  which 
they  had  conquered.  The  Ordinance  of  King  John  Baliol, 
dated  at  Scone,  loth  February,  1292,  shews  the  decendants  of 
Iver  to  have  been  settled  there  as  an  independent,  family, 
holding  their  lands  of  the  Crown  in  the  thirteenth  century  ; 
thus  assigning  to  them  as  high  an  antiquity  in  that  district  as 
can,  on  any  certain  historical  ground,  be  claimed  for  the  name 
of  Campbell.  The  Maclvers  always  maintained  in  Argyll  the 
character  of  a  brave  and  energetic  Clan,  and  constituted  a 
formidable  division  of  the  forces  of  the  House  of  Argyll.  The 
Chieftains  of  the  Clan  were  hereditary  keepers  and  captains  of 
the  Castle  of  Inverary.  The  Clan  Iver  formed  part  of  the 
vanguard  of  the  Scottish  host  on  the  fatal  field  of  Flodden, 
when  Archibald,  Earl  of  Argyll,  with  his  cousin,  Sir  Duncan 
Campbell,  and  all  the  flower  of  Argyll,  fell  valiantly  fighting 
in  front  of  their  King.  The  main  body  of  the  Clan  Iver 
exchanged  their  ancient  patronymic  for  that  of  Campbell,  and 
the  greater  number  of  the  Ross-shire  Maclvers  migrated  to 
Lewis  in  the  seventeenth  century  ;  from  these  are  descended 
the  Maclvers  of  Uig,  and  of  the  Maclvers  traceable  to  Uig, 
the  most  important  are  the  Maclvers  of  Liverpool.  A 


358  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVA  TEERS. 

member  of  the  Clan  settled  in  Uig  had  two  sons,  Iver  and 
John  ;  from  Iver  the  late  Rev.  Wm.  Maclver,  of  Lymm, 
Cheshire,  was  descended.  John,  the  son  of  Iver,  had  three  sons, 
named  Iver,  Peter,  and  William.  Iver  and  Peter  settled  in 
Liverpool,  and  became  prosperous  merchants  and  shipowners, 
having  at  one  time  almost  a  monopoly  of  the  trade  between 
Liverpool  and  Glasgow.  They  were  joined  by  their  brother 
William,  who,  after  the  death  of  both  without  issue,  became 
the  head  of  the  house.  He  married  Anne  Clark,  by  whom  he 
had  (besides  a  daughter)  an  only  son,  the  Rev.  Wm.  Maclver, 
who  died  in  1863,  leaving  six  sons  and  five  daughers.  Charles 
Maclver,  the  progenitor  of  the  Maclvers  of  Liverpool,  was  the 
son  of  Captain  John  Maclver,  brother  of  the  great-grand- 
father of  the  Rev.  Wm.  Maclver.  This  Charles  Maclver, 
the  grandfather  of  the  late  Charles  Maclver,  of  Calderstone, 
also  commanded  a  ship.  He  had  seven  or  eight  sons,  of 
whom  only  three  grew  up.  The  eldest  of  these,  John,  earned 
a  very  high  reputation  by  his  skill  and  gallantry  in  command 
of  the  Swallow,  a  ship  of  18  guns,  and  in  other  armed  vessels 
in  the  Government  service.  He  died  without  issue,  as  also 
did  a  younger  brother  who  served  under  him  with  the  same 
credit,  and  afterwards  commanded  a  ship.  These  two 
brothers  were  uncles  of  the  late  Charles  Maclver,  of  Calder- 
stone. One  of  them  is  referred  to  in  the  following  paragraph 
from  the  Edinburgh  Advertiser,  of  March  23rd,  1795  : — '  The 
armed  ship  in  his  Majesty's  service,  King  Grey,  commanded  by 
the  gallant  Captain  Maclver,  was  sunk  by  a  bombshell,  and 
part  of  her  crew  drowned.' 

The  only  son  who  left  issue  was  David,  who,  like  the  other 
members  of  this  family,  wras  an  intrepid  and  skilful  mariner, 
and  who  perished  in  command  of  a  ship  in  the  Bay  of  Biscay,  in 
1812.  He  married  Jane,  daughter  of  John  Boyd,  of  Port 
Glasgow,  who,  when  in  command  of  a  merchant  ship,  volun- 
teered his  services  on  board  of  a  man-of-war  of  the  convoy,  on 
the  occasion  of  an  attack  by  a  French  squadron.  The  attack 
was  successfully  repelled,  but  Captain  Boyd  was  killed  in  the 
action.  The  before-mentioned  Captain  David  Maclver  was  the 


WARS  OF  THE  FRENCH  REVOLUTION.          359 

father  of  Messrs.  David  and  Charles  Maclver,  the  founders  of 
the  firm,  so  well  known  in  connection  with  the  Liverpool  and 
Glasgow  steam  trade.  In  conjunction  with  Sir  Samuel 
Cunard,  Bart,  (then  Mr.  Cunard),  and  Messrs.  James  and 
George  Burns  (now  Sir  George  Burns,  Bart.),  of  Glasgow, 
Messrs.  David  and  Charles  Maclver  established  the  Trans- 
atlantic Royal  Mail  Steam  Service,  which  is  now  known  as  the 
Cunard  Line.  The  firm  of  D.  and  C.  Maclver,  of  which  the 
two  brothers  were  the  original  partners,  managed  this  Trans- 
atlantic service  at  Liverpool,  from  the  year  1840,  until  their 
retirement  from  the  management  in  1883.  David  Maclver  died 
unmarried  in  1845,  at  t^ie  aSe  °^  3^  years-  Charles,  the  head 
of  the  house  of  the  Maclvers  of  Calderstone,  and  representative 
of  the  family  in  Liverpool,  died  in  1885.  He  has  left  numerous 
descendants  to  hand  on  the  honourable  traditions  of  the  race. 
The  Elizabeth,  Captain  Johnston,  on  the  passage  from 
Barbadoes,  beat  off  a  French  privateer,  of  14  guns  and  full 
of  men,  after  an  engagement  of  two  hours,  in  which  the 
Frenchman's  fore-top-gallant  mast  was  shot  away. 

The  Lord  Rodney,  Captain  Joseph  Campbell,  took,  and 
carried  to  Montego  Bay,  a  valuable  Spanish  prize,  bound  to 
Cadiz  with  cotton,  coffee,  cocoa,  hides,  etc. 

The  Eliza  Jane,  Captain  Hayward,  on  her  passage  from 
Africa  to  St.  Kitts,  had  an  engagement  of  four  hours  with  a 
French  privateer,  whom  she  beat  off. 

The  Dart,  Captain  Clare,  on  her  passage  from  Liverpool 
to  Africa,  took  a  French  privateer,  of  6  guns,  dismantled 
her,  and  gave  her  to  the  crew ;  and  afterwards  had  an  engage- 
ment with  another  privateer,  of  12  guns  and  90  men,  which 
she  beat  off. 

The  Lucy,  Captain  James,  from  Liverpool  for  Demerara, 
and  the  Cornbrook,  beat  off  a  French  privateer,  and  a  Spanish 
cutter  of  14  guns. 

The  Posthumous,  Captain  Leigh,  of  Liverpool,  recaptured 
the  Plumper,  from  Jamaica  for  London,  which  had  been 
taken  by  the  French. 


360  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

The  Hinde,  Captain  Mullion,  on  her  passage  to  Africa, 
was  chased  five  different  times  by  French  cruisers,  but 
escaped  by  superiority  of  sailing. 

The  Molly,  Captain  Tobin,  from  Liverpool  to  Africa, 
captured  a  Spanish  ship  of  300  tons,  bound  from  Cadiz  to 
the  River  Plate  ;  and  the  Gudgeon,  Captain  Boardman,  on 
the  passage  from  Africa  to  Demerara,  had  an  engagement 
with  a  French  privateer,  which  she  beat  off.  The  Ocean, 
Captain  Harrison,  on  her  voyage  from  Liverpool  to  St. 
Domingo,  had  the  good  fortune  to  take  the  La  Victoria,  a 
fine  Spanish  brig,  from  Buenos  Ayres  to  Old  Spain,  laden 
with  hides,  oil,  and  copper,  valued  at  ,£10,000.  The 
Eagle,  Captain  Wright,  homeward  bound  from  St.  Croix, 
was  sunk  in  an  engagement  with  a  French  privateer. 
Several  of  the  crew  were  wounded,  and  Captain  Wright  was 
carried  prisoner  to  Nantz. 

On  the  25th  of  August,  1797,  the  Ranger,  Captain  Bell, 
on  her  passage  from  Liverpool  and  Providence  for  the 
Caicos,  was  taken  by  a  French  privateer,  after  an  engage- 
ment of  two  hours,  in  which  Captain  Bell  was  killed,  and 
the  Ranger  carried  into  Cape  Fran9ois. 

The  ship  Susannah,  Captain  Gladstone,  on  her  passage 
from  Riga,  in  company  with  the  Jane,  of  Workington,  fell 
in  with  a  French  privateer,  of  14  guns  and  full  of  men, 
which  he  engaged  for  an  hour  and-a-half.  although  he  had 
only  8  guns  and  14  men.  The  privateer  sheered  off  with 
the  loss  of  her  mizen  mast,  and  otherwise  much  disabled, 
and  appeared  to  have  lost  a  number  of  men.  Captain 
Watson,  in  the  fane,  with  2  guns,  rendered  every  assistance 
in  his  power.  There  appeared  in  sight  during  the  engage- 
ment twelve  sail  of  merchant  ships,  which  made  their 
escape. 

The  Isabella,  Captain  Rogers,  from  Liverpool  for  Africa, 
was  taken  on  November  23rd,  1797,  by  the  Ferret  privateer, 
of  16  guns  and  190  men,  from  Bordeaux,  after  an  action  of 


WARS  OF  THE  FRENCH  REVOLUTION.          361 

one  hour,  in  which  the  mate  was  killed  and  the  captain 
badly  wounded.  The  Isabella  was  carried  into  Bordeaux, 
where  Captain  Rogers  died  of  his  wounds. 

On  the  Qth  of  October,  1797,  the  Backhouse,  Captain 
James  Hunter,  from  Liverpool  for  Africa,  in  lat.  45°, 
long.  11°,  fell  in  with  a  French  cutter,  mounting  16  guns 
(twelve-pounders).  Captain  Hunter,  writing  at  sea,  gives 
the  following  account  of  the  engagement : — 

"  At  ten  in  the  morning"  commenced  action  within  a  cable's 
length,  and  continued  so  until  one  p.m.  A  heavy  fire  was 
kept  up  on  both  sides.  About  meridian,  unfortunately,  had 
our  fore  topmast  shot  over  the  bows,  but  notwithstanding  our 
dismantled  state,  we  kept  so  well  directed  a  fire  that  a  little 
after  one  he  thought  proper  to  sheer  off,  being  compleatly 
beaten  ;  which  plainly  appeared  by  his  not  being  able  to  take 
an  advantage  of  our  crippled  state,  having  laid  by  us  until 
four  p.m.  when  he  made  sail  and  came  up  again,  attempted  to 
rake,  and  do  us  all  the  damage  he  could,  but  did  not  prevail 
as  we  kept  firing  random  shot  as  well  as  him,  from  our  after 
guns.  But  the  truth  is  he  was  so  much  disabled  that  he 
would  not  risk  a  close  action  again,  therefore  at  six  o'clock  he 
hauled  away  to  the  N.  W.  and  left  us.  We  have  suffered 
greatly  in  our  rigging  and  sails,  not  a  mast  or  yard  in  the  ship 
that  has  escaped  his  shot.  It  has  taken  until  this  time  to 
repair  our  damages,  and  hope  by  tomorrow  we  shall  have 
every  thing  in  order  again.  I  have  great  reason  to  be  thank- 
ful we  suffered  no  more  in  the  ship's  company,  having  only 
two  killed  and  three  wounded,  one  of  the  latter  I  fear  will 
prove  mortal.  I  was  slightly  wounded  early  in  the  action,  but 
it  proved  no  detriment  to  maintaining  the  engagement.  My 
officers  behaved  with  truly  becoming  courage,  and  are  deserv- 
ing of  every  notice  ;  indeed  my  ship's  company  all,  to  a  very 
few,  behaved  gallantly,  and  would  have  supported  me  to  the 
last  in  defending  the  ship.  In  the  sails  are  170  shot  holes, 
besides  a  much  greater  quantity  in  the  rigging  and  hull." 

On  November  26th,  1797,  the  Elizabeth,  Captain  Graham, 


362  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

belonging-  to  Messrs.  Henderson  and  Sellar,  on  her 
passage  to  Africa,  had  a  close  engagement  for  an  hour  and 
twenty-five  minutes,  with  a  ship  of  16  or  18  guns,  which 
sailed  away  much  damaged,  and  in  evident  confusion,  to 
join  a  brig — her  consort.  The  Blanchard,  Captain  M  'Gauley, 
on  her  passage  from  Africa  to  Barbadoes,  took  a  Spanish 
brig,  laden  with  oil,  skins,  etc. 

In  December,  1797,  the  Eliza,  Captain  Bird,  on  the 
voyage  from  Africa  to  the  West  Indies,  was  blown  up,  after 
an  engagement  with  a  French  privateer,  which  had  struck 
to  her.  Only  seven  of  the  Eliza's  people  were  saved,  being 
picked  up  by  the  privateer.  As  the  Eliza  was  apparently  a 
slave  ship,  the  catastrophe  must  have  been  a  heart-rending 
one. 

On  the  3oth  of  December,  1797,  the  Lovely  Lass,  Captain 
William  Lace,  belonging  to  Mr.  Thomas  Parr,  and  the 
Agreeable,  Captain  Hird,  on  their  passage  from  Liverpool 
to  Africa,  had  an  engagement  for  upwards  of  two  hours 
with  two  privateers,  one  a  blacksided  ship  of  22  guns,  and 
the  other,  a  yellowsided  ship  of  18  guns,  which  they  beat 
off.  Captain  William  Lace,  though  engaged  in  the  slave 
trade,  enjoyed  the  friendship  of  Roscoe,  one  of  the  most 
zealous  enemies  of  the  traffic. 

The  ship  James,  Captain  Miller,  on  her  passage  to 
Africa,  fell  in  with  a  French  privateer,  and  engaged  her 
from  seven  o'clock  in  the  morning  till  half-past  eleven, 
when  she  sheered  off.  Four  days  later,  the  James  was 
attacked  by  a  French  National  brig,  of  14  guns  and  100 
men,  and  taken  after  an  action  of  three  hours  and-a-half  at 
close  quarters,  in  which  Captain  Miller  and  the  boatswain 
were  killed,  and  five  men  badly  wounded.  T\\Q  James  was 
nearly  a  wreck,  the  Frenchman  having  fought  her  on  both 
sides,  and  raked  her  fore  and  aft.  She  was  shortly  after- 
wards recaptured  by  the  Magnanime  frigate,  and  carried 
into  Cork. 


WARS  OF  THE  FRENCH  REVOLUTION.  363- 

On  the  i yth  of  February,  1798,  the  Barbara,  Captain 
Dickson,  belonging  to  Messrs.  Edmund  Chamley  &  Co., 
was  taken,  by  boarding,  after  a  hard  fought  engagement  of 
sixteen  hours,  by  the  Zemly  corvette  cutter,  of  14  guns  and 
170  men.  Two  men  were  killed,  and  ten  wounded  on  board 
the  Barbara,  amongst  the  latter  being  the  Captain,  wounded 
in  seven  places.  The  Barbara  was  so  much  disabled,  that 
it  was  with  the  greatest  difficulty  she  was  got  into  Guada- 
loupe,  the  action  having  been  fought  within  twelve  leagues 
of  Martinique.  The  Zemly  had  two  long  i8-pounders  on 
her  forecastle.  In  the  same  month,  the  Young  Dick,  Captain 
Smith,  was  captured,  full  slaved,  by  a  Spanish  privateer,  of 
16  guns  and  120  men,  at  Cape  Mount. 

Captain  Williams,  of  the  Abigail,  writing  at  sea,  on  St. 
David's  Day,  1798,  says: — 

"At  two  p.m.,  saw  a  sail  to  the  northward,  standing 
towards  us  with  all  sail  set;  at  three  p.m.,  took  in  steering 
sails,  and  hauled  our  wind  to  meet  him;  at  four  p.m.,  got 
within  gunshot,  when  he  fired  a  gun,  and  hoisted  National 
colours.  We  manned  our  guns,  and  gave  him  three  cheers. 
She  proved  to  be  a  large  schooner  of  14  guns,  and  upwards  of 
1 80  men,  as  I  am  informed  by  the  bearer  of  this  letter.  We 
fought  him  within  pistol  shot,  for  seven  hours,  and  kept  a 
steady  and  well  directed  fire  with  grape,  doubleheaded  and 
langridge  shot.  He  attempted  boarding  us  three  different 
times,  but  we  repulsed  him  with  small  arms,  and  three  hearty 
cheers.  During  the  action  we  carried  away  the  privateer's 
maintopmast,  shot  her  foresail  to  rags,  and  killed  and  wounded 
a  great  number  of  her  people.  My  officers  and  men  behaved 
as  Englishmen,  steady  and  collected.  In  the  middle  o.  '  " 
action,  they  all  came  aft,  and  declared  they  would  stick  to  their 
guns,  and  be  true  to  me,  for  which  I  thanked  them — they 
instantly  returned  to  their  quarters,  and  behaved  like  heroes. 
Am  sorry  to  inform  you  my  poor  carpenter  was  wounded,  but 
not  dangerous  ;  he  received  a  shot  through  the  leg,  went  below 


364  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

to  the  doctor,  and  as  soon  as  the  wound  was  dressed,  came  up 
again  and  behaved  like  a  man.  Our  hull  and  sails  are  much 
shattered,  boltsprit  and  sprit-sail-yard  severely  wounded,  but 
we  will  soon  put  all  to  rights  again.  We  received  23  grape  and 
musket  shot  through  our  fore  and  aft  main-sail. 

P.S.   Depend  upon  it  I  will  not  give  the  ship  away." 
The  Abigail,   on  her  passage  from  Africa  to  Jamaica, 
recaptured  an  American  vessel. 

The  Governor  Williamson,  Captain  Kelsick,  and  the  Eliza, 
Captain  Bird,  recaptured  a  large  Portuguese  brig,  laden 
with  tobacco  and  rum.  The  former  vessel  was  subsequently 
lost  going  into  New  Calabar,  the  crew  and  part  of  the  cargo 
being  saved.  The  Brothers,  Captain  Thompson,  was  lost 
in  Old  Calabar  river,  and  the  crew  saved. 

In  March,  1798,  Mr.  Gladstone  (little  dreaming  that  from 
his  loins  should  spring  the  greatest  man  of  the  great 
Victorian  age)  presided  at  "a  very  elegant  entertainment," 
given  at  Bates's  Hotel,  by  the  merchants  and  shipowners 
trading  to  Hamburg  and  Bremen,  to  Captain  Paget, 
commander  of  his  Majesty's  ship  the  Dart,  and  his  officers, 
in  consequence  of  her  being  appointed  by  the  Lords  of  the 
Admiralty  to  convoy  a  number  of  valuable  ships  from 
Liverpool  to  the  Elbe  and  Weser.  The  Mayor,  Bailiffs, 
"several  naval  characters,"  and  many  of  the  leading 
merchants,  were  of  the  party.  In  the  following  April,  Mr. 
Gladstone  became  a  widower. 

Captain  I.  H.  Morgan,  of  the  brig  Betsey  and  Susan, 
writing  to  his  owners,  from  Port-au-Prince,  on  April  5th, 
1798,  says  : — 

"  In  lat.  41.  long.  18  30.  fell  in  with  a  large  French  privateer 
brig,  which  shewed  18,  but  mounted  16  nine  and  six-pounders. 
I  made  a  running  fight  for  about  one  hour,  but  finding  she 
would  come  alongside  me,  I  prepared  every  thing  for  close 
action,  which  lasted  above  two  hours  within  pistol  shot,  when 
she  sheered  off.  I  was  in  a  most  shattered  state,  main  and 


WARS  OF   THE  FRENCH  REVOLUTION.  365 

gib-boom  shot  overboard,  main  and  forestays  gone;  and 
almost  every  rope  in  the  vessel  cut  to  pieces,  several  dangerous 
shot  in  my  hull,  and  my  masts  and  yards  much  wounded.  She 
was  full  of  men,  not  less,  I  suppose,  than  100.  I  had  three 
men  slightly  wounded,  but  am  in  hopes  they  will  soon  get  the 
better  of  it.  During  the  action,  my  officers,  and  men  behaved 
as  becomes  Britons  on  all  such  like  occasions — "  Remarkably 
well." 

"  We  have  much  satisfaction  in  stating,"  says  the  paper 
of  May  yth,  1798,  "that  the  mode  so  generally  recommended 
on  the  sea  coasts,  is  likely  to  form  a  very  essential  part  of 
our  voluntary  armament,  as  we  hear  that  Messrs.  Thomas 
and  William  Earle  are  completely  fitting  up  at  their  own 
expence  a  very  formidable  gunboat  of  60  tons  burthen, 
carrying  24  pounders  on  her  bows,  for  the  public  service  ; 
which  we  hope  will  be  followed  by  many  others.  This,  in 
addition  to  the  naval  force  to  be  stationed  at  the  entrance 
of  the  port,  will  be  a  very  important  and  effectual  additional 
protection  to  this  town  and  neighbourhood." 

On  the  Qth  of  May,  1798,  the  Hind,  Captain  Mackenzie, 
in  her  passage  to  the  West  Indies,  took  a  sloop  privateer,  of 
4  carriage  and  4  swivel  guns,  and  41  men. 

On  the  30th  of  May,  1798,  the  ship  Henry,  Captain 
Samuel  Every,  saw  a  sail,  which  tacked  and  stood  towards 
them,  hoisting  a  French  ensign.  All  hands  were  called  to 
quarters,  and  the  privateer,  which  proved  to  be  the  Caroline, 
of  Nantz,  14  guns  and  120  men,  came  up  and  fired  a  broad- 
side into  the  Henry,  which  was  immediately  answered,  and 
the  engagement  continued  for  two  hours.  The  Henry  was 
then  obliged  to  strike,  having  had  one  man  killed,  the  mate 
and  four  men  wounded,  and  her  hull,  sails,  and  rigging 
considerably  damaged.  "We  were  all  that  evening  on 
board  the  privateer,  and  with  great  reluctance  I  came  out 
of  the  old  Henry,"  says  Captain  Every.  Next  day,  a  British 
frigate  stood  towards  them,  and  on  the  Frenchman  asking 


366  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVA  TEERS. 

Captain  Every  what  he  thought  she  was,  he  replied,  "  An 
American."  The  privateer  then  stood  towards  the  stranger 
to  see  for  himself,  but  finding  his  mistake,  took  to  his  heels. 
After  a  chase  of  three  hours,  the  frigate  came  nearly  up  to 
the  privateer,  upon  which  the  English  prisoners  rose  on 
deck,  and  Captain  Every  had  the  satisfaction  of  hauling 
down  the  French  colours.  The  Henry  being  then  just  in 
sight  from  the  masthead,  the  frigate  gave  chase  and 
recaptured  her. 

On  the  1 4th  of  June,  1798,  the  Maria,  Captain  Martin, 
the  Mersey,  Captain  Molyneux,  and  the  Africa,  Captain 
Smerdon,  three  vessels  bound  to  Africa,  captured  the 
Spanish  xebeck  Soliadad,  from  Cadiz,  laden  with  wine, 
brandy,  iron,  etc. 

"  Lloyd's  Lists  of  last  week,"  says  Billing^  s  Advertiser, 
"announce  the  arrival  of  192  ships  from  the  West  Indies, 
exclusive  of  those  at  Liverpool,  Lancaster,  and  White- 
haven.  There  is  not  a  missing  ship  of  either  fleet — a 
•circumstance  unparalleled  in  any  former  war.  What  a 
delightful  view  of  the  vigour  of  our  navy,  and  of  the 
prosperity  of  this  country,  to  see  our  fleets  of  merchantmen 
arrived  safe  in  the  midst  of  war." 

The  Agreeable,  Captain  M'Callum,  belonging  to  Mr. 
Barton,  was  captured  on  the  2Oth  of  September,  1798,  by  a 
schooner  privateer,  of  14  guns  and  120  men,  and  taken  into 
Guadaloupe.  She  was  carried  by  boarding.  The  privateer 
ranging  up,  put  upwards  of  60  men  into  her,  over  her 
quarters,  and  through  the  cabin  windows.  Thirteen  of  the 
Agreeable1  s  people  were  killed  in  the  action,  three  of  them 
passengers,  and  a  great  number  of  her  crew  were  wounded. 
The  French  put  18  twelve-pounders  and  210  men  on  board 
the  Agreeable,  and  sent  her  to  cruise  off  Barbadoes.  As  she 
was  a  match  for  any  merchantman,  and  sailed  very  fast,  it 
was  feared  she  would  do  much  mischief.  The  Concorde 
frigate  and  the  Amphitrite  were  sent  after  her,  the  latter 


WARS  OF  THE  FRENCH  REVOLUTION.          367 

with  orders  not  to  return  without  her.     She  was  ultimately 
retaken  by  a  sloop-of-war,  and  carried  into  Tortola. 

On  the  27th  of  September,  1798,  the  Bud,  of  10  guns  and 
30  men,  Captain  Robert  Tyrer,  bound  from  Liverpool  to  the 
coast  of  Guinea,  was  taken  in  latitude  37°,  longtitude  18°  N., 
after  a  very  severe  action  of  half-an-hour,  by  the  President 
Parker  privateer,  of  L'Orient,  of  8  brass  guns  (thirty-six- 
pounders),  i  long  nine-pounder,  and  65  men.  The  Bud 
had  two  men  killed,  and  two  wounded.  She  was  retaken, 
on  the  4th  of  October,  with  the  privateer,  by  his  Majesty's 
ships  Flora  and  Caroline,  and  sent  to  Lisbon. 

The  Forbes,  Captain  Pince,  and  the  Charlotte,  Cap- 
tain Crow,  recaptured  the  Portland,  from  Virginia  for 
London. 

On  the  7th  of  October,  1798,  a  shot  fired  by  one  of  the 
homeward-bound  ships  saluting  the  town,  carried  off  the  arm 
of  Robert  M 'Combe,  an  old  cooper,  standing  near  the  Old 
Dock  Gates ;  tore  open  the  breast  of  William  Treasure,  a  fine 
young  man,  mate  of  the  William ;  and  killed  Dennis  Burns, 
an  apprentice,  standing  near  the  bridge  of  the  Old  Dock. 
Treasure  died  in  a  quarter  of  an  hour  after  the  accident. 
After  this,  vessels  were  forbidden  to  fire  in  the  river  nearer 
the  town,  on  the  north  side,  than  lineable  with  the  North 
Battery,  nor  on  the  south  side,  than  Birkenhead  Point. 
Since  that  accident  no  vessel  can  salute  the  town  under  a 
penalty  of  £10  a  gun,  as  was  found  by  the  Captain  of  the 
Hannah,  who  was  fined  in  June,  1799. 

The  George,  Captain  Hackney,  from  Liverpool  to  Africa, 
was  taken  on  the  Coast,  by  the  Republican  French  priva- 
teer, of  32  guns. 

The  Swallow,  Captain  White,  escaped  the  same  privateer, 
in  a  squall,  after  a  running  fight  of  an  hour.  The  Swallow, 
having,  on  her  passage  from  Liverpool  to  the  West  Indies, 
captured  a  privateer,  from  the  Isle  of  France,  was  herself 
taken  by  the  prisoners,  and  sent  to  Cayenne. 


368  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVA  TEERS. 

The  King  Pepple,  Captain  Phillips,  recaptured  the  Prince 
of  Wales,  from  Bristol  to  Africa. 

The  Brooks,  Captain  Williams,  on  her  passage  from 
Jamaica,  recaptured  the  Clermorit,  from  North  Carolina, 
laden  with  tar,  turpentine,  etc. ;  and  the  Mary,  Captain 
Erskine,  on  the  voyage  to  Africa,  recaptured  the  Maria, 
with  fruit  and  wine,  from  Malaga.  The  Two  Brothers, 
Captain  Cummins,  recaptured  the  Astrea,  Captain  Tink- 
man,  from  Liverpool  for  Boston. 

The  slave  ship  King  William,  of  Liverpool,  Theophilus 
Bent,  master,  having  on  board  only  15  effective  hands  able 
to  stand  to  their  quarters,  was,  on  the  morning  of  the  nth 
of  October,  1798,  at  the  distance  of  180  miles  from 
Barbadoes,  chased  by  a  French  privateer  of  16  guns,  six 
and  four-pounders,  and  170  men.  Captain  Bent,  finding 
that  he  could  not  avoid  fighting,  brought  the  enemy  to 
close  action,  which  lasted  two  hours  and-a-half,  when  the 
privateer,  having  sustained  considerable  damage,  and  an 
immense  loss  of  men,  sheered  off,  leaving  the  King 
William  almost  a  wreck,  having  received  602  shots,  and 
her  rigging  cut  to  pieces.  She  had  one  of  the  crew  killed, 
and  four  wounded,  besides  eight  male  slaves  below,  two  of 
them  mortally. 

The  Otter,  Captain  Grierson,  and  the  Beaver,  Captain 
Murray,  on  their  passage  to  Africa,  took  a  brig  bound  to 
Bilbao,  with  naval  stores. 

On  the  2ist  of  October,  1798,  Cape  Clear,  bearing 
E.N.E.,  distance  235  leagues,  at  one  a.m.,  Captain 
Brelsford,  of  the  ship  Mary,  12  guns  and  29  men,  saw  a 
brig  to  the  northward,  which  followed  close  astern  till 
daylight,  when  she  brought  the  Mary  to  action,  and,  after  a 
contest  of  one  hour  and  twenty  minutes,  sheered  off,  with 
her  foretop-sails  a  good  deal  dismantled.  The  Mary's 
principal  damage  was  in  the  mainsail,  with  some  of  the 
running  rigging  cut  away.  In  consequence  of  her  good 


WARS  OF  THE  FRENCH  REVOLUTION.  369 

quarters,  her  crew  escaped  scathless.  The  privateer  was 
pierced  for  18  guns,  and  fought  12,  with  from  90  to  100 
men  ;  they  were  so  numerous  as  to  fire  muskets  from  the 
bowsprit. 

Captain  Alexander  Speers,  of  the  slave  ship,  Amelia  and 
Eleanor,  writing  from  Barbadoes,  on  the  26th  of  October, 
1798,  to  his  owners,  Messrs.  W.  Brettargh  &  Co.,  Liverpool, 
says  : — 

"On  the  ist  inst.,  I  fell  in  with  a  French  privateer,  of  18 
guns,  six  and  nine-pounders,  in  lat.  3^  S.  long.  22  W.  He 
hailed  from  London,  bound  to  Angola.  At  eleven  a.m.,  the 
action  commenced,  and  continued  till  half-past  two  p.m.  Early 
in  the  action,  I  lost  my  bowsprit  and  foremast,  close  by  the 
rigging.  When  he  found  I  was  disabled,  he  renewed  the 
action  with  double  vigour,  and  hoisted  the  bloody  flag  at  his 
main-top-gallant-mast  head,  steered  alongside  within  pistol 
shot,  and  hailed  me,  "Strike,  you  -  —\  strike!"  which  I 
answered  with  a  broadside,  which  laid  him  on  a  creen.  He 
then  stood  away  to  the  northward,  to  plug  up  his  shot  holes, 
as  I  could  see  several  men  over  the  side.  In  about  twenty 
minutes,  he  came  alongside  again,  and  gave  me  a  broadside  as 
he  passed.  He  then  stood  to  the  southward,  and  got  about  a 
mile  to  windward,  gave  me  a  lee  gun,  and  hauled  down  his 
bloody  flag,  which  I  answered  with  three  to  windward.  I  have 
received  a  deal  of  damage  to  my  hull ;  on  my  starboard  bow, 
two  ports  in  one  ;  several  shot  between  wind  and  water.  I  had 
not  one  shroud  left  forward,  but  what  was  cut  to  pieces,  stays, 
etc.  I  lost  all  head  sails,  and  my  after  sails  much  damaged. 
I  lost  one  slave,  and  four  wounded  ;  four  of  the  people  wounded ; 
two  are  since  dead  of  their  wounds.  I  shall  not  be  able  to  pro- 
ceed from  hence  till  January,  as  my  hull  is  like  a  riddle." 
In  a  letter  from  Barbadoes,  dated  December  ist,  1798,  we 
have  the  following  spirited  description  of  an  engagement 
between  the  ship  Barton,  Captain  Cutler,  which  had  arrived 
there  in  51  days  from  Liverpool,  and  a  French  privateer  : — 

"  In    the    afternoon    of    Monday,    about    20    leagues    to 
2A 


370  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

windward  of  the  Island,  she  discovered  a  sail  standing-  to  the 
southward,  which  in  the  close  of  the  evening'  stood  for  her,  and 
coming  within  gunshot,  kept  in  the  wake  of  the  Barton  most 
part  of  the  night,  receiving  her  constant  fire  of  stern  chasers, 
without  returning-  a  shot.  At  daybreak,  the  enemy,  (which 
proved  to  be  a  French  privateer  schooner,  of  18  guns,  nine  and 
six-pounders),  spoke  an  American  brig  astern,  and  at  sunrise 
bore  down  with  a  press  of  sail  upon  the  Barton,  who  again 
opened  her  fire  as  soon  as  she  came  within  shot,  and  soon  after 
a  close  action  commenced,  which  lasted  two  hours  and  an  half, 
the  schooner  repeatedly  attempting  to  board  ;  but  by  the  heavy 
and  well  directed  fire  from  the .  ship,  was  prevented  from 
g-etting-  near  enough  to  effect  their  purpose,  and  was  at  last  so 
dismantled  in  her  rigging,  that  she  sheered  off;  but  having 
refitted,  commenced  a  second  attack  at  noon,  with  a  most 
sanguinary  design  of  boarding,  and  notwithstanding  the 
incessant  cannonading  from  the  ship,  ran  plump  on  board,  and 
endeavoured  to  throw  her  men  into  her.  But  well  prepared 
to  receive  the  enemy,  the  whole  of  the  Barton's  crew  being 
assembled  on  the  quarter  deck,  and  headed  by  their  gallant 
commander,  who  was  spiritedly  seconded  by  his  passengers, 
an  attack,  sword  in  hand,  commenced,  and  the  enemy  were 
driven  back  with  considerable  loss,  many  of  them  being  spiked 
from  the  netting  and  shrouds  of  the  ship,  while  by  a  well 
directed  fire  from  the  cabin  guns,  numbers  were  swept  from 
their  own  deck  ;  and  great  part  of  her  rigging  being  cut  away, 
she  dropped  astern  and  gave  over  the  contest,  amidst  the 
victorious  huzzas  of  the  British  tars,  whose  bold  commander, 
calling  from  his  quarter  deck,  defied  the  vanquished  Republi- 
cans to  return  to  the  attack.  Captain  Cutler's  conduct  on  this 
occasion  cannot  be  too  highly  spoken  of,  and  such  was  the 
enthusiasm  of  all  on  board  the  ship,  that  his  passengers  bear 
a  proportionate  share  of  honour,  while  his  mates  have  a  just 
claim  to  the  approbation  and  applause  of  their  merchants, 
whose  well-known  liberality  is  ever  ready  to  reward  the  merit 
of  every  man  in  their  employ.  The  second  mate,  and  three 
seamen  were  wounded  on  board  the  Barton. " 


WARS  OF  THE  FRENCH  REVOLUTION.          371 

The  following  intelligence  was  communicated  by  a  gentle- 
man, who  went  out  passenger  in  the  ship  Benson,  Captain 
Croasdale,  for  Jamaica: — 

"At  daylight  in  the  morning-  of  Thursday,  the  6th  December, 
1798,  St.  Kitts,  N.N.E.  about  18  leagues,  we  descried  two 
vessels  on  the  starboard  bow,  which  at  eight  we  could  plainly 
discover  to  be  a  ship  and  a  brig,  under  a  press  of  sail,  standing 
towards  us.  At  half  after  ten  the  latter  passed  us  about  a  mile 
astern,  under  American  colours,  standing  to  the  southward  ;  . 
and  the  ship,  which  we  could  by  this  time  observe  to  be  a 
vessel  of  force,  upon  our  weather  quarter,  coming  up  with  us 
fast,  under  English  colours.  At  a  quarter  before  eleven  she 
fired  a  shot  at  us,  and  showed  the  tricoloured  flag,  when  we 
in  studding  sails,  and  laying  to  for  her  coming  up,  prepared  to 
give  her  a  warm  reception.  At  eleven  the  action  commenced, 
within  pistol  shot  of  each  other,  and  continued  without  inter- 
mission till  about  thirty  minutes  past  twelve,  when  the  firing 
ceased,  and  both  vessels,  which  had  been  ungovernable,  lay  to 
for  the  purpose  of  refitting. 

"At  twenty  minutes  past  one,  the  action  again  commenced 
and  continued  till  about  a  quarter  past  two,  when  our  opponent 
hauled  his  wind  to  the  southward,  and  left  us  in  such  a  crippled 
state  in  our  rigging,  masts,  sails,  as  to  be  unable  to  follow. 
Fortunately  no  lives  were  lost  in  the  contest,  from  the  excellent 
quarters  our  wood  hoops  afforded,  and  the  enemy  chiefly  aiming 
to  disable  us  aloft.  A  neutral  vessel  we  spoke  the  same 
evening,  informed  us  the  ship  we  had  engaged  was  a  National 
Corvette,  lately  from  France,  and  that  she  mounted  20 
nine-pounders,  and  was  manned  with  170  men.  This  was 
afterwards  corroborated  by  a  gentleman,  a  prisoner  at  that 
time  on  board,  who  got  down  to  Jamaica  shortly  afterwards, 
and  says  that  they  had  twelve  killed,  and  ten  wounded." 

On  the  day  following  the  action,  the  Benson  fell  in  with 
a  large  schooner  privateer,  of  12  guns,  and  full  of  men, 
which  she  drove  amongst  Cape  Roxen  shoals,  the  west  end 
of  Porto  Rico.  On  the  nth  of  December,  she  chased  a 


372  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

French  cutter  of  17  guns,  which  had  an  American  ship,  her 
prize,  in  company.  The  privateer  liberated  the  prize,  on 
seeing  the  Benson  gaining  upon  her,  but  the  wind  dying 
away  in  the  evening,  the  cutter  out  sweeps  and  escaped. 

On  a  former  passage  to  Jamaica,  the  Benson  took  a 
Spanish  prize,  valued  at  about  ,£7000. 

The  slave  sloop  Henry,  of  6  three-pounders,  2  two- 
pounders,  and  14  men,  Captain  Cusack,  on  her  passage 
from  Africa,  was  chased  by  the  Spanish  packet,  St.  Roselia, 
of  10  eighteen  and  twelve-pounders  and  75  men,  which 
dropped  astern  after  an  engagement  of  forty  minutes. 
Coming  up  again  shortly  after,  a  close  engagement  took 
place  for  about  three-quarters  of  an  hour,  when  the  Spaniard 
sailed  away.  At  i  p.m.  on  the  following  day,  he  again 
came  alongside,  and  gave  the  Henry  a  broadside,  which  was 
returned,  and  an  engagement  within  pistol  shot  followed 
for  three  hours,  resulting  in  the  capture  of  the  Henry,  which 
was  heavily  damaged  and  ungovernable.  After  taking 
possession  of  the  sloop,  the  Spaniards  ran  her  on  shore, 
about  seven  leagues  to  leeward  of  Cape  Maize,  where  all  the 
prize  crew  and  slaves  perished,  except  27  negroes,  who  swam 
on  shore.  Captain  Cusack  and  his  crew  were  well  treated  by 
the  Captain  and  officers  of  the  St.  Roselia,  but  in  prison,  at 
Havannah,  the  Captain  was  only  allowed  three-sixteenths 
of  a  dollar  per  day  to  live  on.  The  Nassau  paper,  of 
February  22nd,  1799,  contains  the  following  curious 
intelligence  : — 

"On  board  of  the  sloop  Henry,  Cusack,  from  Africa  for 
this  port,  captured  by  the  Spanish  schoonqg,  St.  Roselia, 
Captain  Monase,  were  two  African  youths  of  about  twelve  years 
each,  one  named  John,  the  son  of  King  George,  and  the  other, 
Tom,  son  of  King-  John  Qua  Ben,  both  having-  extensive 
domains  on  the  river  Gaboon.  These  youths  their  fathers  had 
committed  to  the  charge  of  Captain  Cusack,  to  be  carried  to 
Liverpool,  to  be  there  educated.  They  were  both  taken  from 


WARS  OF  THE  FRENCH  REVOLUTION.          373 

Captain  Cusack,  to  be  sold  as  slaves,  in  spite  of  all  his  remon- 
strances, and  at  Havannah,  he  was  told  by  a  respectable 
Spanish  merchant,  that  they  would  not  be  delivered  up.  The 
owner  of  the  Spanish  vessel  is  Francisco  Maria  Cuesto,  who 
must  consign  his  name  to  eternal  obloquy,  should  he  persist  in 
refusing-  these  unfortunate  youths  their  freedom.  A  representa- 
tion on  this  business,  we  have  reason  to  expect,  will  be  made 
to  the  government  of  Cuba." 

On  the  1 7th  of  April,  1799,  Captain  John  Ainsworth,  of 
the  slave  ship  Polly,  wrote  to  his  owners  in  Liverpool,  from 
Jamaica,  as  follows  : — 

"In  lat.  3.  46  S.,  long.  22,  W.,  I  fell  in  with  a  large 
Spanish  brig,  and  after  a  running  engagement  of  four  and-a- 
half  hours,  captured  her,  called  the  St.  Antonia>  from  Teneriffe 
to  Buenos  Ay  res.  We  expended  160  cannon  cartridges,  and 
upwards  of  400  musquet  and  musquetoon  cartridges.  Our 
sails  and  rigging  were  much  cut,  and  several  of  our  slaves 
slightly  wounded  by  a  shot  that  went  through  our  side  under 
the  main-chains,  and  broke  two  stanchions  of  the  bulk  head 
of  the  women's  room.  On  the  i2th  of  March  went  into 
Barbadoes  to  land  the  prisoners,  being  22. 

"I  left  Barbadoes  on  the  i6th  March.  In  the  morning  of 
the  1 7th,  fell  in  with  a  French  schooner  privateer,  who  chaced 
us  till  2  p.m.  I  then  hove  to  for  him,  on  which  he  shortened 
sail,  and  seemed  consulting  with  his  officers.  Soon  after  he 
made  sail,  and  came  up  under  our  quarter,  when  I  gave  him 
what  guns  I  could  get  to  bear.  We  had  a  number  of  our  men 
slaves  with  small  arms,  which  they  fought  very  well,  and 
killed  and  wounded  several  of  the  privateer's  people.  She 
then  attempted  to  board  us  on  the  quarter,  and  carried  away 
our  main-sheet.  At  this  time  only  small  arms  were  fired,  and  if 
our  people  had  been  at  the  cabin  guns  we  must  have  sunk  her. 
In  their  attempt  to  get  up  the  side,  I  took  a  boarding  pike, 
and  threw  it  at  them,  which  went  through  the  side  of  one  man, 
into  the  thigh  of  another  and  they  both  fell.  He  then  sheered 
off.  I  can  safely  say  he  had  20  men,  or  upwards,  killed  and 


374  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVA  TEERS. 

wounded,  his  decks  being-  full  of  blood.  We  gave  them  three 
cheers,  and  chaced  him  in  our  turn,  but  could  not  come  up 
with  her.  She  was  full  of  men,  but  cannot  say  what  force.  I 
had  one  man  wounded,  our  hull  full  of  musquet  shot,  and  our 
sails  and  rigging  very  much  cut  and  shattered." 

The  Townley,  of  Liverpool,  was,  on  the  4th  of  July,  1799, 
captured  by  a  French  privateer,  of  14  guns,  which  took  out 
her  crew,  except  Mr.  W.  Atkinson,  the  chief  mate,  and  John 
Overton,  and  put  six  men  on  board  her.  On  the  7th,  Mr. 
Atkinson,  assisted  by  Overton,  took  an  opportunity  to  fasten 
three  of  the  Frenchmen  below,  and  attacked  the  rest.  The 
prize-master  fired  his  pistols  without  effect,  and  fell  in  the 
conflict,  when  his  men  submitted ;  and  on  the  i4th,  the  two 
Englishmen  took  their  ship  safe  into  Viola  Sound,  in  Shet- 
land. 

On  the  examination  of  the  French  prize-master  of  the 
Polly,  Captain  Thompson,  for  Liverpool  from  Lisbon,  re- 
captured by  the  Sylph,  18  guns,  Captain  Dashwood,  it  came 
out  in  evidence  that  the  convoy  of  the  fleet,  a  Portuguese 
frigate,  of  44  guns  and  300  men,  suffered  the  La  Bellone, 
French  privateer,  of  22  guns  and  130  men,  to  come  into  the 
middle  of  the  convoy,  capture  and  man  five  sail,  worth 
;£io,ooo  each,  and  carry  them  off,  without  making  any  effort 
to  retake  them. 

At  two  p.m.,  on  the  loth  of  July,  1799,  the  ship  Planter, 
of  12  nine-pounders,  6  six-pounders,  and  43  men,  Captain 
John  Watts,  on  her  passage  from  Virginia  to  Liverpool, 
espied  a  lofty  ship  to  the  southward  in  chase  of  them. 
Captain  Watts,  in  a  letter  dated  off  Dover,  July  I5th,  gives 
the  following  account  of  the  subsequent  proceedings  : — 

"  By  her  appearance  we  were  fully  convinced  she  was  an 
enemy,  and  being  likewise  certain  we  could  not  outsail  her,  at 
four  p.m.  had  all  ready  for  action,  down  all  small  sails,  up 
courses,  spread  boarding-  netting-s,  etc.  At  half-past  five  p.m., 
we  backed  our  main  top-sail,  and  laid  by  for  her,  all  hands 


WARS  OF  THE  FRENCH  REVOLUTION.  375 

giving-  her  three  cheers.  She  then  bore  down  under  our 
starboard  quarter,  fired  one  gun  into  us,  and  showed  National 
colours.  We  found  her  to  be  a  privateer  of  22  guns,  twelves, 
nines,  and  sixes,  with  small  arms  in  the  tops,  and  full  of  men. 
We  immediately  rounded  to,  and  gave  her  a  broadside,  which 
commenced  the  action  on  both  sides.  The  first  broadside  we 
received  cut  away  all  our  halyards,  top-sheets,  and  braces,  and 
killed  three  men  on  the  quarter-deck.  We  kept  up  a  constant  fire 
for  two  glasses  and-a-half,  when  she  sheered  off  to  repair 
damages;  and  in  about  one  glass  returned  to  board  us,  with 
his  Bloody  Flag  hoisted.  We  were  all  in  readiness  to  receive 
him,  got  our  broadsides  to  bear  upon  him,  and  poured  in  our 
langrage  and  grape  shot  with  great  success.  A  heavy  fire 
kept  up  on  both  sides  for  three  glasses  this  second  time.  In 
all,  the  engagement  continued  firing  for  five  glasses.  At  last 
he  found  we  would  not  give  out,  and  night  coming  on,  sheered 
off  and  stood  to  the  south-west.  His  loss,  no  doubt,  was 
considerable,  as  the  last  two  glasses  we  were  so  nigh  each 
other  that  our  fire  must  have  done  great  execution.  My  ship's 
company  acted  with  a  degree  of  courage  which  does  credit  to 
the  Flag.  I  cannot  help  mentioning  the  good  conduct  of  my 
passengers  during  the  action :  Mr.  M'Kennon  and  Mr.  Hodgson, 
with  small  arms,  stood  to  their  quarters  with  a  degree  of  noble 
spirit ;  my  two  lady  passengers,  Mrs.  Macdowall  and  Miss  Mary 
Harley,  kept  conveying  the  cartridges  from  the  magazine  to 
the  deck,  and  were  very  attentive  to  the  wounded,  both  during 
and  after  the  action,  in  dressing  their  wounds  and  administering 
every  comfort  the  ship  could  afford  ;  in  which  we  were  not 
deficient  for  a  merchant  ship. 

"  When  he  sheered  off,  saw  him  heaving  dead  bodies  over- 
board in  abundance.  Our  ship  is  damaged  in  the  hull ;  one 
twelve  pound  shot  under  the  starboard  cat  head  splintered  the 
sides  much  ;  one  double-headed  shot  through  the  long  boat ; 
sails,  rigging,  spars,  prodigiously  injured.  We  had  four  killed, 
and  eight  wounded." 

A  letter  from  Whitehaven  supplies  the  following  addi- 
tional particulars  : — 


376  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

"Mrs.  Macdowall  and  Miss  Mary  Harley,  who  lately 
distinguished  themselves  so  much  in  the  gallant  defence  of  the 
ship  Planter,  of  Liverpool,  against  an  enemy  of  very  superior 
force,  off  Dover,  are  now  at  Whitehaven.  These  ladies  were 
remarkable,  not  only  for  their  solicitude  and  tenderness  for 
the  wounded,  but  also  for  their  contempt  of  personal  danger, 
serving  the  seamen  with  ammunition,  and  encouraging  them 
by  their  presence.  The  merchants  of  that  town  have  accord- 
ingly acknowledged  their  services  in  the  handsomest  manner, 
and  have  also  instituted  an  enquiry  for  the  parents  of  one 
William  Aickin,  a  native  of  that  town,  who  was  killed  in  the 
action,  after  signalising  himself  in  a  most  exemplary  manner. 
Early  in  the  conflict  he  received  two  wounds,  one  of  which 
almost  separated  his  hand  from  the  arm,  notwithstanding 
which,  without  any  other  assistance  than  the  application  of  some 
styptic,  and  a  bandage  by  Mrs.  Macdowall  and  her  companion, 
he  returned  to  his  station  and  continued  his  exertions  in 
defence  of  the  ship,  till  he  fell  in  a  manner  covered  with 
wounds,  from  a  broadside  too  successfuly  directed  by  the 
adversary.  He  was  then  carried  below,  where  he  expired  in  a 
few  minutes  after  requesting  Mrs.  Macdowall  to  convey  his 
duty  to  his  parents,  and  to  let  them  know  that  '  he  died  in  a 
good  cause.'  " 

The  Dick,  private  ship-of-war,  Isaac  Duck,  commander, 
on  her  passage  from  Liverpool  to  Gibraltar,  beat  off  eight 
gunboats,  after  an  action  of  three  hours  and-a-half.  Later 
in  the  year,  she  arrived  at  Barbadoes  with  three  prizes. 
On  the  1 3th  of  October,  1799,  on  her  passage  from  St. 
Bartholomew's  to  Liverpool,  the  Dick  fell  in  with  a  National 
corvette  of  22  guns,  with  which  she  came  to  close  action, 
the  enemy  keeping  up  a  smart  fire  of  musketry  from  his  tops 
and  quarter  deck  for  two  hours,  when  the  Dick's  langrage 
and  grape  shot  cleared  her  tops.  Finding  they  had  received 
some  shot  between  wind  and  water,  and  having  four  feet 
water  in  the  hold,  they  bore  down  and  came  within  half 
pistol  shot  abaft  the  corvette's  beam,  and  kept  up  a  regular 


WARS  OF  THE  FRENCH  REVOLUTION.          377 

and  well  supported  fire  at  her  for  an  hour,  when  she  made 
all  sail  possible  and  run  ahead.  They  then  brought  their 
ship  by  the  lee  to  plug  the  shot  holes,  and  found,  although 
they  had  the  weather  gage,  a  twelve-pound  shot  had  gone 
through  the  lower  part  of  their  bends.  An  hour  and-a-half 
later,  they  made  the  pumps  suck,  and  at  five  p.m.  (eight 
hours  after  the  commencement  of  the  action)  had  their  rig- 
ging stopped  and  sails  set,  and  all  ready  for  engaging.  The 
enemy  laying  to  ahead,  seeing  them  coming  up  ready  for 
action,  made  sail,  and  run  to  the  S.  W.  The  behaviour  of  the 
ship's  crew,  many  of  whom  were  wounded,  was  extremely 
steady  and  valiant.  Mr.  Hugh  Morris,  the  first  mate, 
specially  distinguished  himself  in  the  engagement.  Nearly 
five  years  later — in  the  paper  of  August  2Oth,  1804 — we 
read  that  the  underwriters  had  presented  Captain  Duck  with 
200  guineas,  in  recognition  of  his  good  conduct  and  bravery, 
in  beating  off  a  corvette  of  22  guns  and  200  men,  after  a 
close  action  of  three  hours — possibly  the  same  affair. 

At  the  close  of  the  year  1800,  the  Emperor  Paul,  of 
Russia,  declared  war  against  England,  and  suddenly  seized 
on  all  the  English  vessels  in  Russian  ports.  Russian 
vessels  in  English  ports  were  promptly  seized  and  confis- 
cated by  way  of  reprisals.  The  Angola,  the  only  Russian 
vessel  then  in  the  port  of  Liverpool,  was  seized,  and  the 
crew  sent  to  prison,  by  Captain  Hue,  commander  of  his 
Majesty's  ship  Actceon,  who  thereby  made  ^800  prize 
money.  The  Admiralty  ordered  the  release  of  the  crew. 
In  January,  1801,  Captain  Hue  took  possession  of  eight 
Danish  and  Swedish  vessels  in  the  port.  During  the 
eighteenth  century,  a  great  number  of  girls  and  women 
entered  the  army  and  navy  as  soldiers,  sailors,  and  marines, 
doing  duty,  and  fighting  side  by  side  with  the  sterner  sex, 
without  being  suspected,  until  some  unlucky  accident,  or 
severe  wound,  revealed  the  jealously  guarded  secret.  Some- 
times the  fair  aspirant  for  military  or  naval  honours  or  a 


378  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

violent  death,  was  detected  on  the  threshold  of  her  antici- 
pated glory.  A  romantic  affair  of  this  sort  happened  on 
board  the  Action. 

"Some  few  weeks  since,"  says  Billinge's  Liverpool 
Advertiser,  of  May  i2th,  1800,  "a  young  person  who  had 
the  appearance  of  a  boy,  solicited  to  be  brought  on  board 
his  Majesty's  ship,  the  Actceon,  and  continued  in  the  ship 
upwards  of  seven  weeks,  performing  the  duty  of  his  station 
the  same  as  other  boys,  when  by  means  of  a  letter  sent  to 
some  friends  it  was  discovered  that  this  pretended  boy  was 
a  fine  girl,  about  18  years  of  age.  The  loss  of  a  mother, 
and  neglectful  father,  was  the  only  reason  she  would  ever 
acknowledge  for  such  a  step.  During  the  time  she  was  on. 
board  the  Actceon,  she  conducted  herself  with  the  greatest 
propriety,  that  no  one  had  the  least  suspicion  of  her  sex. 
She  was  sent  on  shore  again,  dressed  in  proper  clothes, 
with  a  handsome  collection  made  for  her  by  the  officers  and 
ship's  company." 

On  the  i3th  of  January,  1800,  a  French  brig  privateer,  of 
14  guns,  entered  Torbay  with  the  Gibraltar  fleet,  and 
remained  six  days.  She  was  several  times  boarded  and 
questioned  what  she  was,  but  her  hands,  to  the  number  of 
50,  being  concealed,  the  few  on  deck  (who  spoke  good 
English)  said  she  had  been  a  French  privateer,  but  was 
bought  by  some  Liverpool  merchants.  On  the  sailing  of 
the  convoy,  she  also  got  under  weigh,  and  in  the  night 
would  doubtless  have  captured  the  most  valuable  ;  but  a 
signal  was  made,  which  she  being  unable  to  answer,  of 
course,  was  suspected,  boarded,  and  taken  possession  of  by 
the  Namur. 

The  underwriters  presented  Captain  James  Sturrock  and 
the  crew  of  the  ship  Pursuit,  five  per  cent,  on  the  value  of 
the  ship  and  cargo,  for  their  gallant  defence  against  a 
French  privateer,  of  considerable  force,  on  the  5th  of 
January,  1800. 


WARS  OF  THE  FRENCH  REVOLUTION.  379 

On  the  6th  of  October,  1800,  the  Dick,  Guineaman, 
mounting  20  guns  (four  and  six-pounders),  and  42  men  and 
boys,  Captain  W.  Grahme,  sailed  from  Liverpool  for  the 
Coast  of  Africa.  On  the  I5th  of  October,  she  had  the  mis- 
fortune to  fall  in  with  the  La  Grande  Decide,  a  famous  French 
privateer  corvette,  mounting  22  guns  (nine  and  twelve- 
pounders)  on  one  deck,  and  176  men.  After  as  desperate  an 
action  as  ever  was  fought,  lasting  about  seven  hours  and-a- 
half,  the  Dick,  reduced  to  a  mere  wreck,  was  forced  to  strike 
to  superior  force.  The  brave  Captain  Grahme  and  ten  of 
his  crew  were  severely  wounded.  The  captain  died  six  days 
afterwards  on  board  the  privateer.  The  first  lieutenant  of 
the  corvette  was  killed,  and  39  of  the  crew  killed  and  wounded 
in  the  action.  Soon  after,  the  Clyde,  of  44  guns,  Captain 
Cunningham,  hove  in  sight,  took  possession  of  the  Dick, 
and  carried  her  into  Plymouth,  while  the  Fisgard,  of  48 
guns,  chased  the  privateer.  Captain  Cunningham  took 
every  care  of  the  wounded  men,  entering  them  as  super- 
numeraries, and  by  that  means,  procuring  their  admission 
into  the  royal  naval  hospital.  A  letter  received  in  Liverpool, 
probably  from  one  of  the  officers  of  the  Dick,  gives  the 
following  account  of  the  engagement : — 

"An  action  commenced  a  few  minutes  past  one  o'clock  at 
noon,  which  was  most  gallantly  defended  on  both  sides  within 
pistol  shot.  About  five  o'clock  the  Dick's  standing  and 
running  rigging,  bracings,  and  bowlines  were  cut  to  pieces  ; 
sails  all  in  rags,  topmasts  gone,  lower  masts  crippled,  and 
several  shots  betwixt  wind  and  water.  It  was  about  this  time 
that  an  unfortunate  canister  shot  struck  poor  Grahme  and 
took  away  all  the  upper  part  of  his  skull ;  in  this  situation  he 
was  carried  below.  To  revenge  his  death,  which  his  brave 
crew  anticipated,  and  for  the  honour  of  the  British  ensign,  one 
of  the  brave  tars  nailed  the  Dick's  colours  to  the  stump  of  the 
mizen  mast,  and  they  one  and  all  were  determined  to  fight 
the  vessel  as  long  as  she  could  swim  ;  and  without  dread  or 


380  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

fear  the  chief  mate  and  crew  fought  on  till  near  eight  o'clock, 
having  at  that  time  their  noble  captain  and  ten  men  wounded, 
their  ammunition  expended,  every  gun  dismounted,  spars  and 
rigging  shot  away,  3  feet  10  inches  water  in  the  pump  well, 
both  pumps  going,  vessel  expected  to  go  down,  and  the  enemy 
upon  their  quarter  in  the  act  of  boarding,  when  Captain 
Grahme  advised  them,  to  prevent  every  man  from  being  put 
to  the  sword,  to  strike  their  colours.  He  delivered  up  the 
vessel  in  the  most  courageous  manner ;  and  even  had  the 
presence  of  mind  to  desire  the  third  mate  to  fling  his  rifle- 
piece,  pistols,  sword,  &c.,  overboard,  saying  no  other  man 
should  ever  use  them.  He  manfully  walked  overboard  his 
own  vessel  into  the  enemy's  boat,  refusing  aid  or  assistance, 
saying  to  his  men,  '  My  brave  fellows,  you  have  done  your 
duty  like  Britons,'  adding  (meaning  his  own  vessel)  '  Poor  Dick 
thou  hast  done  thy  duty  likewise,  but  obliged  to  strike  to 
superior  force — I  only  wish  thy  guns  had  been  heavier  metal.' 
"The  French  first  lieutenant  was  killed;  the  enemy  had 
also  27  killed  and  wounded,  and  several  of  her  crew  died  after 
the  action.  She  was  much  hurt  in  her  masts  and  hull,  and 
several  holes  in  the  side,  which  they  were  obliged  to  plug  up 
with  lead.  On  Grahme's  arrival  on  board  the  La  Grande  Decide, 
he  was  allowed  a  cot  in  the  Captain's  cabin,  who  behaved  to 
him  like  a  brother.  The  French  doctor  attended  him  night  and 
day,  his  own  chief  mate  was  always  with  him,  and  his  crew 
allowed  frequently  to  see  him.  He  was  insensible  after  the 
first  twenty-four  hours,  and  on  the  2ist  of  October,  about 
three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  he  departed  this  life,  universally 
respected  by  all  who  knew  him.  He  fell  like  a  hero  and  a 
British  sailor,  fighting  under  the  influence  and  for  the  honor  of 
his  country's  proud  ensign  !  God  rest  his  soul  in  peace  and 
happiness.  He  was  launched  into  the  deep  same  evening, 
sewed  up  in  his  cot,  in  as  decent  a  manner,  as  the  situation 
would  admit  of." 

Captain  Samuel  A.  Whitney,  of  the  ship  Hiram,  writing 
to  his  owners  in  Liverpool,  from  Fort  Royal,   Martinique, 


WARS  OF  THE  FRENCH  REVOLUTION.          381 

on  the  22nd  of  October,  1800,  gives  the  following  account 
of  events  in  real  life,  that  have  a  foretaste  of  Stevensonian 
romance  about  them  : — 

"I  have  a  very  unpleasant  account  to  give  you  of  the 
Hiram,  which,  after  being-  twice  taken  and  retaken,  arrived 
here  the  i3th  inst.  after  being  one  hundred  and  two  days  at 
sea;  the  circumstances  are  these:  On  the  i3th  September, 
being  in  long.  55.  and  lat.  30.  I  was  overtaken  by  a  French 
sloop  of  war  brig,  called  the  Curieuse,  Captain  Ratlett,  from 
Cayenne,  on  a  cruise  of  two  months,  and  then  to  France,  who 
after  an  examination  of  my  papers,  pronounced  the  greater  part 
of  my  property  to  be  English.  They  then  took  out  all  my 
people,  (except  my  brother,  one  green  hand,  and  a  boy  of  12 
years  of  age),  and  put  on  board  two  officers  and  eight  men, 
and  ordered  us  for  Cayenne,  and  after  keeping  us  company  for 
two  days,  and  robbing  us  of  a  lower  yard,  a  cask  of  water,  a 
ship  glass,  and  sundry  small  matters,  they  left  us.  I,  on  first 
discovering  her  to  be  French,  went  below,  loaded  my  pistols, 
and  hid  them  away  in  a  crate  of  ware,  which  if  I  had  not  done 
I  should  have  lost  them,  for  no  less  than  three  different  times 
was  my  trunk  searched,  my  brother's  chest  and  the  cabin  all 
over,  and  were  as  cautious  as  though  they  read  my  determina- 
tion in  my  face.  The  officers  would  not  allow  the  men  to  go 
off  deck  at  any  time,  and  they  eat,  drank  and  slept  on  deck 
themselves,  never  suffering  but  one  at  a  time  to  go  off  deck  ; 
therefore,  I  found  I  had  no  other  chance  but  to  engage  them 
openly  by  daylight.  I  directed  my  brother  to  have  a  couple  of 
handspikes  in  readiness,  and  when  he  saw  me  begin,  to  come 
to  my  assistance.  Therefore,  at  four  o'clock  on  the  after- 
noon of  the  fourth  day  after  being"  taken,  I  secured  my  pistols 
in  my  waistbands,  went  on  deck,  and  found  the  Prize-master 
asleep  on  the  weather  hen-coop,  his  mate  at  the  wheel,  and 
their  people  on  different  parts  of  the  main  deck,  my  brother 
and  man  on  the  lee  side  of  the  windlass.  Under  the  circum- 
stances I  made  the  attempt,  by  first  knocking  down  the  mate 
at  the  wheel.  The  prize-master  jumped  up  so  quick  that  I  could 


382  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

get  but  a  very  slight  stroke  at  him.  He  then  drew  his  dirk 
upon  me,  but  I  closed  in  with  him,  sallied  him  out  to  the 
quarter  rail  and  hove  him  overboard,  but  he  caught  by  the 
main  sheet,  which  prevented  his  going  into  the  water.  By  this 
time  I  had  the  remaining  eight  upon  me,  two  of  whom  I 
knocked  backwards  off  the  quarter  deck  ;  by  this  time  my 
people  got  aft  with  handspikes,  and  played  their  parts  so  well 
that  I  was  soon  at  liberty  again.  I  then  drew  a  pistol  and 
shot  a  black  fellow  in  the  head,  who  was  coming  to  me  with  a 
broad  axe  uplifted,  the  ball  cut  him  into  the  skull  bone  and 
then  glanced,  but  it  stunned  him  and  amazed  all  the  rest,  who 
had  no  suspicion  of  my  having  pistols.  By  this  time  the  mate 
whom  I  first  knocked  down,  had  recovered  and  got  a  loaded 
pistol  out  of  his  trunk,  and,  apparently,  fired  it  directly  in  my 
man's  face,  but  the  ball  missed  him.  The  prize-master  got  on 
board  again  and  stabbed  my  brother  in  the  side,  but  not  so  bad 
as  to  oblige  him  to  give  out  until  we  had  got  the  day.  In 
this  situation  we  had  it  pell  mell  for  about  a  quarter  of  an 
hour,  when  at  last  we  got  them  a  running,  and  followed  them 
so  close,  knocking  down  the  hindermost  as  we  came  up  with 
them,  until  part  made  their  escape  below.  The  rest  then 
began  to  cry  for  mercy,  which  we  granted  on  their  delivering 
up  their  arms,  which  consisted  of  a  discharged  horseman's 
pistol,  a  midshipman's  dirk,  a  broad  axe,  a  handsaw,  and  two 
empty  junck  bottles.  We  then  marched  them  all  aft  into  the 
cabin  and  brought  them  up  one  at  a  time,  and  after  examining 
for  knives,  etc.,  we  confined  them  down  forward.  By  this 
time  it  was  quite  dark,  and  my  brother  was  obliged  to  give 
out,  and  lay  in  extreme  pain  for  forty-eight  hours,  expecting 
every  moment  to  be  his  last,  but  he  afterwards  recovered 
astonishingly,  and  was  soon  able  to  keep  his  watch.  My  man 
got  so  drunk  that  I  could  not  keep  him  awake  at  night,  so 
that  there  was  only  my  little  boy  and  I  to  work  the  ship, 
watch  the  French,  and  attend  my  brother.  I  kept  a  French 
lad  upon  deck,  the  only  one  that  was  not  wounded,  and  kept 
him  at  the  wheel  all  night.  The  weather  was  extremely  fine 
and  the  Frenchmen  quite  peaceable,  so  that  I  met  with  little 


WARS  OF  THE  FRENCH  REVOLUTION.  383 

difficulty.  Thus  we  kept  possession  of  her  for  ten  days,  when 
we  had  reached  within  two  or  three  days  sail  of  Savannah, 
being  in  the  long-,  of  75.  On  the  2yth  September,  was  again 
overtaken  by  a  French  privateer,  from  Guadaloupe,  who,  with- 
out any  ceremony  of  examining  papers  (only  to  find  out  the 
contents  of  my  packages)  came  immediately  on  board,  broke 
open  the  hatches,  and  filled  the  deck  with  bales,  trunks,  cases, 
etc.,  and  after  examining  for  the  most  valuable  goods,  sent 
them  on  board  the  privateer.  As  her  cruise  was  nearly  at  an 
end,  having  sent  off  their  men,  they  hove  overboard  all  their 
empty  water  casks  and  lumber  of  all  kinds,  and  filled  them- 
selves as  full  as  an  egg  out  of  us,  not  leaving  room  for  their 
people  to  sleep  below.  They  were  two  days  at  work  upon  us. 
They  then  took  out  my  brother,  man  and  boy,  (leaving  me  on 
board)  and  all  the  former  French  crew,  except  four  men,  and 
put  on  board  eleven  more  of  their  own  men,  and  after  plunder- 
ing me  of  part  of  my  cloaths,  brass  hanging  compass, 
carpenter's  tools,  spare  cordage,  deep-sea  line,  and  many 
other  like  stores,  they  left  us,  ordering  us  for  Guadaloupe ;  and 
after  being  forty-six  days  longer  in  their  hands,  we  were  taken 
by  his  Majesty's  ship  Unite,  and  sent  into  Martinique." 

Billinge's  Liverpool  Advertiser,  of  February  gth,  1801, 
records  the  death  of  Captain  William  Hutchinson,  in  the 
following  terms  : — 

"On  Saturday,  universally  lamented,  Mr.  William  Hut- 
chinson, aged  85.  Of  him,  it  may  be  truly  said,  that  he  steered 
through  the  voyage  of  life,  under  the  direction  of  the  great 
Captain  of  our  Salvation,  without  ever  deviating  a  point  from 
moral  rectitude  ;  he  was  a  friend  to  the  fatherless,  and  made 
the  widow's  heart  sing  for  joy  ;  to  his  indefatigable  exertions, 
we  are  indebted  in  a  great  measure,  for  the  superior  advantages 
we  enjoy  as  a  commercial  port,  and  the  instituting  of  the 
laudable  society  for  the  relief  of  the  widows  and  families  of 
Masters  of  vessels,  will  ever  make  his  remembrance  be  held 
dear,  by  that  useful  body  of  people." 

On  the  5th  of  March,  1801,  the  Bolton  (Letter  of  Marque), 


384  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

280  tons,  20  guns,  and  70  men,  Captain  J.  Watson,  on  her 
passage  from  Demerara  for  Liverpool,  engaged  for  an  hour 
most  gallantly,  a  large  French  privateer,  of  26  guns  and 
260  men,  called  La  Gironde,  of  Bordeaux,  which  ran  her  on 
board,  and  she  was  obliged  to  strike  to  a  superior  force. 
The  Frenchman  had  a  great  advantage  in  the  action,  owing 
to  the  number  of  men  he  was  able  to  keep  at  the  musketry, 
to  the  great  annoyance  of  the  Boltoris  people.  Captain 
Watson  and  five  of  his  crew  were  wounded,  and  two 
passengers  were  killed.  Both  ships  were  considerably 
damaged,  but  the  French  had  none  killed  or  wounded.  In 
addition  to  a  valuable  cargo  of  sugar,  coffee,  cotton, 
elephant  teeth,  etc.,  which  was  plundered  by  the  privateer, 
the  Bolton  had  a  very  fine  tiger  on  board,  and  a  large  col- 
lection of  birds,  monkeys,  etc.  She  was  retaken  on  the 
passage  to  Bordeaux,  by  the  Leda,  of  38  guns,  and  sent  to 
Plymouth. 

The  General  Keppel  privateer,  Captain  James  Finlayson, 
recaptured  an  American  ship,  and  took  another  from  Cadiz. 
On  the  i4th  of  June,  1801,  he  had  an  action  with  the  La 
Mouche  privateer,  of  22  guns  and  250  men,  with  her  prize, 
the  Hiram,  of  Liverpool,  in  company.  The  latter,  manned 
with  60  Frenchmen,  soon  sheered  off,  as  did  the  privateer, 
after  a  warm  engagement,  in  which  she  had  her  second 
captain  killed,  several  men  wounded,  and  her  hull,  masts, 
sails,  and  rigging  considerably  damaged.  The  General 
Keppel,  was  captured  in  the  Rio  de  la  Plata,  on  November 
2Oth,  1801,  by  a  Spanish  frigate  of  44  guns,  after  a  severe 
engagement  of  three  hours. 

On  the  I4th  of  August,  1803,  the  ship  Juno,  of  18  six- 
pounders,  and  44  men  and  boys,  Captain  Affleck,  was  taken 
70  leagues  from  Wilmington,  after  an  action  of  two  hours, 
by  the  French  frigate  Poursuivant,  mounting  22  French 
twenty-four-pounders,  12  nines,  and  350  men.  The  Juno 
had  two  men  killed,  the  mate  wounded,  and  her  hull,  masts, 


WARS  OF  THE  FRENCH  REVOLUTION.         385 

sails,  and  rigging,  very  much  shattered.  When  she  struck, 
the  Frenchmen  gave  her  three  cheers,  and  Captain  Affleck, 
when  he  stepped  on  board  the  frigate,  was  very  kindly 
received  by  the  French  commander,  who  returned  him  his 
sword,  and  let  him  have  part  of  his  own  cabin,  expressing 
surprise  that  he  had  fought  so  long  against  such  a  superior 
force.  "But,"  says  Captain  Affleck,  in  a  letter  to  his 
owners,  "knowing  I  had  a  set  of  the  bravest  fellows  that 
ever  swam  salt  water,  I  was  determined  to  defend  the  ship  to 
the  last  extremity."  The  French  captain,  finding  the  Juno 
too  much  damaged  to  proceed  to  France,  made  for  Charleston, 
but  the  American  government  refusing  to  allow  the  frigate 
and  her  prize  to  enter  the  port,  the  Frenchman  took  the 
cargo  out  of  the  Juno  and  burnt  her.  "This  brilliant 
action,"  observes  Billinge's  Advertiser,  "reflects  immortal 
honour  on  Captain  Affleck  and  his  brave  crew,  and  will  no 
doubt  meet  that  admiration  and  applause,  we  conceive  they 
are  so  well  entitled  to." 

The  Underwriters,  of  London,  presented  Captain  Affleck 
with  a  valuable  bowl  bearing  the  following  inscription  : — 

"The  ship  Juno,  of  Liverpool,  commanded  by  Captain 
Lutwig  Affleck,  of  18  guns,  six-pounders,  and  44  men,  being 
captured  off  the  coast  of  North  America,  on  the  i4th  August, 
1803,  by  the  French  frigate  Poursuivant,  of  22  twenty-four- 
pounders,  12  nine-pounders,  and  350  men,  after  a  well  fought 
battle,  the  Underwriters  of  London  present  Capt.  Affleck  with 
this  token  of  their  estimation  of  his  skill  and  bravery,  in  main- 
taining a  long  and  gallant  action,  with  a  ship  of  such  superior 
force." 

The  following  communication  was  sent  to  Captain 
Affleck,  by  Mr.  (afterwards  Sir  John)  Gladstone,  on  behalf 
of  the  Liverpool  Underwriters  : — 

"UNDERWRITERS'  ROOMS,  LIVERPOOL,  i$tk  August,  1805, 
"Sir, — By  the  direction  of  the  Underwriters  of  Liverpool, 

and   with   particular   satisfaction   to  myself,    I    beg   leave    to 
2B 


3S6  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

enclose  a  Bill  on  London  for  the  sum  of  £120.  It  is  their 
desire  this  money  may  be  employed  in  the  purchase  of  a 
suitable  piece  of  plate,  of  which  they  request  your  acceptance, 
as  a  mark  and  testimony  of  the  high- sense  they  entertain  of  the 
high  skill  and  gallant  conduct  displayed  by  you,  when  Com- 
manding the  ship  Juno,  of  this  port,  armed  with  18  six- 
pounders,  and  defended  by  a  crew  consisting  of  44  men  and 
boys,  in  the  action  which  you  maintained  for  two  hours,  off 
the  Coast  of  America,  against  the  French  National  frigate 
La  Poursuevante ,  mounting  22  long  twenty-four-pounders,  12 
long  nine-pounders,  and  350  men,  tho'  at  last  compelled  to 
submit  to  superior  force.  I  have  the  honour  to  be,  Sir,  your 
most  obedient,  J.  GLADSTONE,  Chairman  of  the  Underwriters' 
Committee. 

"Ten  Guineas  of  this  sum  was  subscribed  by  Messrs. 
Davies,  Dale  and  Co. 

"  To  Captain  Lutwidge  Affleck,  late  of  the  ship  Juno,  at 
Greenock." 

Messrs.  Davies,  Dale  &  Co.,  were,  no  doubt,  the  owners 
of  the  Juno.  Captain  Affleck  acknowledged  the  honour  in 
the  following  terms  : — 

"GREENOCK,  22nd  August,   1805. 

"  DEAR  SIR, — Your  esteemed  favour  of  the  i5th  curt., 
enclosing  a  Bill  on  London  per  £120,  I  received  by  last  post, 
and  beg  you  will  assure  the  Committee  of  Underwriters,  at 
Liverpool,  that  I  cannot  find  words  to  express  the  gratitude  I 
feel,  for  so  great  a  mark  of  their  regard. 

"  I  have  ever  considered  it  my  duty  to  defend  the  property 
of  others,  entrusted  to  my  care  against  the  enemy,  as  long  as 
there  was  any  prospect  of  advantage  to  be  gained  by  resistance. 
Yet,  I  cannot  help  feeling  much  gratified  by  the  high  opinion 
which  so  respectable  a  body  of  men,  have  been  pleased  to 
express  of  my  conduct  in  the  defence  of  the  Juno.  I  have  the 
honor  to  be,  Sir,  Your  obliged  humble  servant, 

LUTWIDGE  AFFLECK." 


WARS  OF  THE  FRENCH  REVOLUTION.          387 

On  the  2Oth  of  October,  1805,  the  ship  Harmony,  of 
Greenock,  Captain  Affleck,  fell  in  with  a  brig,  supposed  to 
be  Spanish,  but  showing  no  colours,  off  the  island  of 
Tenerifife.  She  mounted  16  guns,  and  appeared  to  have  170 
men  on  board.  Captain  Affleck  was  determined  to  attack 
and  take  her  if  possible,  but  it  being  light  winds,  could  not 
come  up  with  her.  He,  however,  manned  three  boats,  with 
himself  and  24  men  in  one,  and  22  men  in  the  other  two. 
They  pulled  off,  and  soon  got  alongside  the  brig,  when  a 
heavy  fire  of  musketry  took  place  on  both  sides,  but  after  a 
severe  conflict,  the  boats  returned  without  success,  Captain 
Affleck,  with  eight  men,  having  been  killed,  and  18  wounded 
in  the  contest.  The  report  of  this  affair  leaves  us  in  doubt 
whether  the  commander  was  Captain  Affleck,  formerly  of 
the  Juno,  or  a  relation — possibly  a  brother. 

In  October,  1803,  the  Ainsley,  Captain  Every,  brought 
into  the  Mersey,  a  prize  called  the  L!  A  imable  JLucile,  a  large 
French  Indiaman,  from  the  Isle  of  France  to  Bordeaux, 
valued  at  ^"80,000. 

The  Margaret  and  Eliza,  Captain  Barry,  outward  bound 
Guineaman,  captured,  on  the  5th  of  September,  1803,  tne 
ship,  Maria  Alletta,  from  Batavia  for  Amsterdam,  valued 
at  ^"45,000. 

The  Sarah,  Captain  Sellers,  and  the  Ann  Parr,  Captain 
Baldwin,  took  the  French  ship  City  of  Lyons,  400  tons,  from 
the  Isle  of  France  for  Bordeaux,  laden  with  coffee,  pepper, 
indigo,  etc.,  valued  at  about  ,£26,000. 

The  peace  of  Amiens,  which  had  caused  great  rejoicings 
in  Liverpool,  proved  to  be  nothing  more  than  a  truce,  or 
short  breathing-time  between  two  desperate  conflicts.  A 
series  of  military  victories,  culminating  in  the  triumph  of 
,  Marengo,  had  placed  the  continent  of  Europe  at  the  feet  of 
France,  or  rather  under  the  heel  of  Bonaparte.  The  naval 
conquests  of  the  ist  of  June,  of  St.  Vincent,  Camperdown, 
and  the  Nile,  with  innumerable  smaller  victories,  had  made 


388  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

Great  Britain  mistress  of  the  ocean,  had  placed  the  colonies 
of  France  at  her  mercy,  and  inflicted  upon  the  military  and 
commercial  navies  of  France,  Holland,  and  Spain,  in  the 
first  ten  years  of  the  war,  the  loss  o'f  81  line  of  battle  ships, 
187  frigates,  248  smaller  vessels  of  war,  934  privateers,  and 
5,453  merchant  vessels.  Thus  the  commerce  of  Europe  was 
lost  to  Havre,  Bordeaux,  Cadiz,  Rotterdam,  and  Amster- 
dam, and  ultimately  to  Hamburg  and  Bremen,  and 
concentrated  in  London,  Liverpool,  Bristol,  Hull,  the  Clyde, 
and  the  other  ports  of  the  British  empire.  The  war,  which 
had  ruined  the  allies  of  both,  had  left  the  principals  in 
possession  of  immense  strength,  unbroken  courage,  and 
with  additional  causes  of  irritation  and  jealousy.  Hence 
grounds  of  difference  sprang  up  almost  immediately,  and 
after  a  stormy  scene  between  Bonaparte  and  the  English 
ambassador  at  Paris,  both  parties  began  to  prepare  for  war. 
Bonaparte  collected  an  army  at  Boulogne  for  the  invasion 
of  England.  The  threat  was  received  with  shouts  of 
defiance  by  the  people  of  Great  Britain.  Letters  of  Marque 
and  Reprisals  were  issued  on  the  i6th  of  May,  1803,  and 
the  King's  Declaration  was  dated  May  i8th.  The  armed 
vessels  of  England  scoured  the  channels,  sinking  every  gun- 
boat that  ventured  to  leave  Boulogne,  and  even  attacking 
them  under  the  batteries  ;  whilst  hundreds  of  thousands  of 
volunteers  rushed  forward  to  defend  their  country.  Liver- 
pool, true  to  its  fighting  instincts  and  its  renown  on  the  sea, 
did  not  yield  to  any  town  in  the  empire  in  the  energy  and 
efficiency  of  its  patriotic  preparations  against  the  invader. 
As  this  is  not  a  military  history  of  Liverpool,  it  would  take 
too  long  to  relate  in  detail  how  nobly  the  merchants  and 
people  of  "  the  good  old  town  "  did  their  duty  at  this  great 
crisis  in  the  world's  history — when  the  liberty  of  the 
nations  hung  on  the  attitude  and  pluck  of  Britons. 
It  is,  however,  due  to  their  patriotism  to  state  briefly 
the  result  of  their  efforts.  Mr.  John  Bolton,  of  Duke 


WARS  OF  THE  FRENCH  REVOLUTION.          389 

Street,  one  of  the  wealthiest  merchants,  raised  and 
clothed,  at  his  own  expense,  a  regiment  of  volunteer  infantry, 
of  which  he  became  Colonel.  All  the  boatmen  of  the  river 
Mersey,  who  were  secured  from  impressment,  came  forward 
and  offered  to  assist  in  working  the  great  guns  of  the  forts, 
and  were  formed  into  a  regiment  of  artillery,  under  the 
command  of  Peter  Whitfield  Brancker,  Esq.  Two  regi- 
ments of  infantry  were  formed,  one  commanded  by  Lieut.- 
Colonel  Williams,  the  other  by  Lieut.-Colonel  Wm. 
Earle.  There  was  also  a  Rifle  Corps  and  a  Custom 
House  Corps,  and  the  Liverpool  Light  Horse.  Lieut.- 
Colonel  Hollinshead  raised  and  clothed  a  company  of 
pioneers  at  his  collieries  to  serve  with  Lieut.-Colonel 
Williams's  regiment,  of  which  he  was  second  in  command, 
and  Mr.  Ford  North  presented  the  same  regiment  with 
two  brass  guns,  completely  equipped  for  service.  The 
Corporation  subscribed  ,£2,000  from  their  own  funds,  and 
,£1,000  from  the  funds  of  the  Docks.  The  drilling  of  the 
regiments  was  incessant,  the  enthusiasm  great,  the  people 
being  of  one  mind — to  save  the  country  or  nobly  fall  in  its 
defence.  At  a  review  of  the  Liverpool  Volunteers,  on  the 
sixty-seventh  birthday  of  George  the  Third,  the  number  of 
officers  and  men  who  appeared  in  the  field  was  as  follows  : 
i  Colonel,  6  Lieut.-Colonels,  8  Majors,  54  Captains,  in 
Subalterns,  221  Sergeants,  152  Musicians,  and  3,313  rank 
and  file.  From  this  crude  outline  of  the  defensive  attitude 
of  the  old  "  Dicky  Sams,"  it  would  appear  that  a  propensity 
for  privateering  and  slave  trading  in  a  community  is  not 
incompatible  with  self-sacrifice  and  an  exalted  patriotism— 
or,  at  any  rate,  was  not  in  old  Liverpool. 

In  1803,  Messrs.  J.  &  H.  Parry,  merchants,  presented  a 
piece  of  plate,  with  the  following  inscription,  to  Captain 
Thos.  Nicholson: — 

"  Presented  by  John  Parry  and  Henry  Parry,  of  Liverpool, 
Merchants,  owners  of  the  Anna  and  Ellen,  private  ship  of  war, 


390  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVA  TEERS. 

to  her  commander,  Thomas  Nicholson,  in  grateful  testimony 
of  his  unwearied  exertions  for  their  interest,  in  his  able  and 
active  conduct  as  an  officer,  in  capturing-  two  valuable  French 
merchantmen,  and  of  his  judicious' management  in  bringing 
them  safe  into  port." 

The  paper  of  January  24th,  1804,  warns  "persons  liable 
to  the  impress  service  and  all  others,"  against  two  practical 
jokers,  or  "extraordinary  informers,"  as  they  are  called, 
one  a  tobacco  manufacturer,  and  the  other  a  clerk  in  a  salt 
warehouse,  who  sported  with  the  feelings  of  their  acquaint- 
ance, by  causing  them  to  be  seized  and  carried  to  the 
rendezvous  of  the  press-gang,  where,  with  considerable 
property  upon  them,  they  were  detained  several  hours 
among  a  company  with  which  few  would  associate  by 
choice. 

Captain  Richard  Sherrat,  of  the  ship  Caldicot  Castle, 
captured  by  the  French,  gives  the  following  account  of  the 
affair,  in  a  letter  dated  Barbadoes,  i8th  April,  1804  :— 

"  I  sailed  from  Demerara  on  the  2yth  February,  and  on 
the  8th  March,  being  then  about  200  miles  to  the  eastward  of 
Guadaloupe,  I  fell  in  with  two  French  privateers,  a  ship  and 
a  schooner,  who  came  alongside  about  eight  in  the  evening, 
and  opened  a  very  heavy  fire  upon  us,  which  we  returned,  and 
in  about  fifteen  minutes  disabled  the  schooner,  when  she 
sheered  off.  We  continued  the  action  with  the  ship  until 
about  twenty  minutes  past  nine,  when  she  sheered  off  also, 
but  continued  in  sight  during  the  remainder  of  the  night,  in 
which  time  we  were  employed  repairing  damages  and  getting 
the  ship  in  a  proper  state  of  defence.  About  half-past  six  next 
morning  the  ship  came  within  pistol  shot,  and  opened  a  tre- 
mendous fire  of  great  guns  and  small  arms,  which  we  returned, 
and  continued  in  action  for  about  fifteen  minutes,  when 
finding  our  sails  and  rigging  cut  to  pieces,  the  ship  very  much 
hulled,  several  shot  having  gone  through  her,  our  wheel  shot 
to  pieces,  two  others  and  myself  wounded,  one  (my  second 


WARS  OF  THE  FRENCH  REVOLUTION.          391 

mate)  mortally,  we  were  obliged  to  strike.  The  ship  proved 
to  be  Le  Grand  Decide,  of  Guadaloupe,  mounting-  20  nine- 
pounders  and  2  brass  twelves,  with  160  men.  I  have  been 
here  these  two  days,  and  will  go  home  either  in  the  Venerable 
or  Barbadoes,  with  the  protest  regularly  done.  I  am  nearly 
well  of  my  wound  ;  it  was  a  musket  ball  which  entered  my 
right  hip,  and  came  out  near  my  backbone.  I  have  nothing 
more  to  inform  you  of,  but  hope  by  the  above  account  there 
will  not  be  any  blame  attached  to  either  my  men  or  me,  as 
they  all  to  a  man  behaved  in  a  very  gallant  manner." 

The  following  letter,  relating  to  the  sale  of  East  India 
prize  goods  brought  into  Liverpool,  was  received  by  the 

Mayor  : — 

"  LONDON,  6th  June,  1804. 

"  I  have  this  day  had  a  final  hearing  of  the  Lords  of 
Trade,  on  the  subject  of  the  Petition  of  the  Mayor  and 
Corporation  and  Merchants  of  Liverpool  for  leave  to  sell  at 
that  port,  the  cargoes  of  those  East  India  Ships  which  have 
been  taken  in  there,  and  I  have  their  Lordships'  authority  to 
acquaint  you,  that  the  Petition  has  been  granted,  and  that 
there  is  no  objection  to  the  Owners  proceeding  to  advertise 
and  dispose  of  the  said  Cargoes.  I  beg  the  favour  of  your 
making  this  generally  known. 

"  I  have  the  honour  to  remain,  Dear  Sir,  Very  truly  yours, 

S.  COCK. 
"  To  his  Worshipful  the  Mayor  of  Liverpool." 

The  paper  of  July  2nd  contained  an  advertisement 
stating  that  in  consequence  of  an  unexpected  opposition 
to  the  Bill  then  pending  in  Parliament,  for  permitting  the 
East  India  prize  cargoes  to  be  sold  in  Liverpool,  the  sale 
was  unavoidably  postponed. 

On  the  4th  of  August,  1804,  the  ship  William  Heathcote, 
of  Liverpool,  Captain  Thomas  Phillips,  about  600  tons 
burthen,  carrying  20  guns  and  30  men,  from  Demerara 
bound  to  Liverpool,  with  a  valuable  cargo,  consisting  of 
1,400  bales  of  cotton,  and  125  casks  of  sugar,  said  to 


392  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVA  TEERS. 

be  worth  ^"80,000,  had  the  misfortune  to  encounter  in 
the  Irish  Channel,  the  French  dogger  privateer,  General 
Augereau,  of  12  guns  and  192  men.  After  a  very  severe 
action  of  half-an-hour,  the  Frenchmen  made  use  of  their  only 
superiority,  which  consisted  in  their  number,  when  by  run- 
ning their  ship  alongside,  they  carried  the  William  Heathcote 
by  boarding  with  nearly  their  whole  force.  Captain  Phillips 
was  killed  after  the  Frenchmen  got  on  board  ;  they  rushed 
upon  him  and  stabbed  him  in  many  places,  and  he  died, 
encouraging  the  mate  to  fight  the  ship  as  long  as  possible, 
but  the  mate  was  soon  after  mortally  wounded.  The 
captain's  son,  a  lad  about  twelve  years  old,  behaved  nobly 
when  the  French  were  boarding.  He  was,  however,  mortally 
wounded,  and  thrown  overboard  before  he  expired.  A  pas- 
senger and  a  seaman  were  also  killed,  and  another  passenger 
and  seven  seamen,  besides  the  mate,  were  badly  wounded. 
According  to  one  account,  the  owner's  son  was  one  of  the 
killed.  The  ship's  sails  and  rigging  were  much  damaged, 
especially  in  the  after  part  of  the  vessel.  The  privateer 
suffered  considerably  in  her  hull,  and  had  several  men  killed, 
and  the  captain  and  five  men  wounded.  After  the  exchange 
of  prisoners,  the  Frenchman  bore  away  for  a  Spanish  port, 
and  had  arrived  near  St.  Andero,  when  the  Nautilus  sloop, 
of  18  guns,  Captain  Aldham,  recaptured  her,  and  carried  her 
into  Plymouth.  The  General  Augereau  was  taken  on  the 
i3th  of  February,  1805,  by  H.M.S.  Topaze,  Captain  Lake. 
On  the  2nd  of  October,  1804,  the  Cockatrice,  of  18  guns, 
escorted  the  William  Heathcote  to  Liverpool.*  The  latter's 

*The  following  letter  was  written  by  Mr.  Bamber,  one  of  the  officers  of  his 
Majesty's  ship  Natitilus,  Captain  Aldham,  and  prize-master  of  the  William 
Ueathcote,  to  Captain  Moses  Joynson,  of  Liverpool: — 

"  His  MAJESTY'S  SHIP  Nautilus,  24th  August,  1804. 

"  DKAR  SIR, — I  have  to  congratulate  you  upon  the  recapture  of  the  William 
Mfathcote,\>y  his  Majesty's  ship  the  Nautilus  on  the  9th  inst.,  which  ship  1  am 
now  master  of.  Knowing  your  great  partiality  to  the  employ  of  Messrs.  Neilson 
&  Heathcote,  and  your  prepossession  in  favour  of  the  ship,  determined  me  to  inform 
you  of  the  recapture  of  her,  as  I  know  you  would  be  very  happy  to  be  the  first  to 
congratulate  Messrs.  Neilson  &  Co.  on  this  subject.  I  am  likewise  proud  in  saying, 


WARS  OF   THE  FRENCH  REVOLUTION.  393 

average  was  settled  for  the  recapture,  by  the  agents  for  the 
Nautilus  and  the  underwriters,  at  ,£36,000  for  the  cargo,  and 
,£8,000  for  the  hull,  stores,  guns,  and  tackle. 

Captain  Leavy,  of  the  ship  Britannia,  writing  to  his 
owners,  Messrs.  France,  Fletcher  &  Co.,  from  Jamaica  on 
September  ist,  1804,  gives  the  following  description  of  a 
well-fought  battle  between  the  Britannia  and  the  General 
Erneuf,  French  privateer  : — 

"  On  3rd  July,  we  fell  in  with  a  French  corvette  of  22  guns, 
in  lat.  41,  long".  13,  who  ran  from  us  ;  on  the  5th,  fell  in  with 
the  same  corvette,  who  at  first  seemed  determined  to  attack  us, 
but  desisted  on  our  chacing,  and  again  run  away.  After  this, 
nothing  particular  occurred  until  Sunday  the  5th  of  August,  at 
8  a.m.,  in  lat.  17,  Antigua,  W.  200  miles,  saw  a  strange  sail 
which  we  soon  perceived  to  be  a  cruizer,  by  making  all  sail 
after  us,  which  we  took  no  notice  of,  not  wishing  to  lose  a 
good  breeze  which  we  had  not  been  favoured  with  for  several 
days.  This  encouraged  the  robber  to  make  boldly  for  us,  our 
guns  being  then  in  and  our  ports  down,  he  thought  we  should 
be  a  good  prize  for  him.  At  half-past  3  p.m.  found  him  coming 
up  fast,  took  in  our  steering  sails,  prepared  for  action,  and 
hauled  our  wind  towards  him.  At  four,  he  hoisted  the  Tri- 
coloured  Flag,  and  gave  us  a  salute  with  a  24  Ib.  shot,  in  ten 


that  she  w  as  by  no  means  given  away,  as  they  gallantly  defended  her  till  the  last, 
against  a  superior  in  number,  in  which  Captain  Phillips,  Mr.  Shepley,  and  two 
men  were  killed.  Mr.  Fraser,  a  passenger,  Mr.  Kewley,  the  mate,  and  several 
men  were  badly  wounded.  Mr.  F.  was  fortunate  enough  in  being  left  on  board 
the  William  Heathcote,  with  three  of  the  wounded  men,  and  the  major  part  of  the 
ship's  company ;  and  I  am  happy  to  say  they  are  all  in  a  fair  way  of  recovery. 
The  French  officers  taken  on  board  the  William  Heathcote  were  loud  in  their 
plaudits  of  the  bravery  of  the  Captain,  Mr.  Shepley,  Mr.  Fraser,  Mr.  Kewley, 
and  the  ship's  company.  Mr.  Kewley,  they  say,  killed  three  men  with  his  own 
sword.  He  is  on  board  the  privateer,  which  I  am  very  sorry  for,  as  his  brother 
was  a  most  particular  friend  of  mine.  Mr.  F.  received  two  musquet  balls,  which 
was  nearly  affecting  his  life  ;  one  our  surgeon  extracted  since  he  has  been  on 
board  this  ship.  I  am  happy  to  say  he  is  nearly  well  of  his  wounds.  The 
privateer  was  in  sight  at  the  time  we  recaptured  the  William  Heathcote,  and  did 
not  make  sail  until  she  saw  her  haul  down  her  colours,  and  we  could  not  go  in 
chase  of  her.  I  hope  I  shall  have  the  pleasure  of  seeing  you  at  Plymouth  to  take 
the  William  Heathcote  to  Liverpool.  She  is  very  much  shattered  in  her  hull,  and 
her  deck  and  ropes  are  steeped  with  blood,  much  to  the  honour  of  them  that  fell 
in  defence  of  her.  and  those  poor  fellows  who  are  wounded,  and  in  fact,  her 
whole  crew." 


394  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVA  TEERS. 

minutes  he  grappled  our  quarter,  when  a  brisk  and  well 
directed  fire  commenced  on  both  sides,  with  great  guns  and 
small  arms.  He  continued  fast  to  the  Britannia  40  minutes, 
during  which  time  he  twice  attempted  to  board,  and  was  beat 
back  with  great  slaughter.  All  this  time  we  could  only  get 
our  stern  and  quarter  guns  to  bear,  which  cleared  his  rigging, 
and  shot  away  his  boarding  booms  and  grapplings. 

"After  he  found  he  could  not  succeed  in  boarding,  he 
attempted  to  haul  off,  and  get  on  board  his  tacks,  which 
enabled  the  Britannia  to  get  her  side  to  bear,  and  in  ten 
minutes  the  enemy  was  a  complete  wreck,  his  main-mast  shot 
away  close  to  the  cap,  his  fore-top  sail  sheets  and  fore-top 
gallant  ditto  all  cut,  his  sails  in  tatters,  his  side  drove  in,  and 
his  fire  compleatly  silenced,  his  tops  and  decks  that  were 
before  full  of  men,  scarcely  one  to  be  seen.  With  the  remains 
of  his  shattered  foresail,  mainsail,  and  mizen,  he  kept  the 
wind.  Perceiving  night  coming  on,  and  the  Britannia's  fore, 
and  fore-topsail  braces,  mizen-boom,  mizen-stay,  and  mizen- 
topsail  all  shot  away,  it  was  some  time  before  the  ship  could 
be  brought  upon  a  wind.  Immediately  after  getting  braces 
reeved,  we  gave  chase  and  passed  him  to  leeward,  having  to 
make  a  tack  for  want  of  after-sail,  the  ship  was  long  in  stays, 
and  before  we  could  come  up  with  him,  it  being  dark  and 
squally,  we  lost  sight  of  him.  We  then  hove  to,  in  full 
expectation  of  falling  in  with  him  at  daylight,  expecting  from 
his  crippled  state  he  must  run  before  the  wind,  but  was  much 
disappointed  in  not  seeing  him,  and  I  much  regret,  that  after 
fortune  had  so  far  favoured  us,  we  had  not  daylight  to  take 
possession  of  him,  who  intended  to  make  a  prey  of  us.  My 
people  were  in  high  spirits,  and  fought  like  English  seamen. 
I  am  confident  the  proudest  of  Frenchmen  with  equal  numbers 
must  have  humbled  to  them.  I  met  with  a  great  loss  from  the 
enemy's  first  fire,  having  my  boatswain,  carpenter,  and  two  of 
my  best  men  stationed  with  me  to  work  the  ship,  wounded  ; 
four  of  my  people  run  from  me  at  Madeira,  and  two  sick, 
which  made  some  of  the  guns  to  be  weakly  manned.  My 
passengers  volunteered  their  services,  and  am  truly  sorry  to 


WARS  OF  THE  FRENCH  REVOLUTION.          395 

say,  one  of  them  lost  his  life,  but  on  the  whole  our  loss  was 
not  so  great  as  might  be  expected. 

"  The  Britannia  has  suffered  much  in  her  rigging-  and  sails, 
most  of  our  lower  rigging  dreadfully  cut,  as  well  as  almost  every 
running  rope  in  the  ship.  The  masts  are  full  of  small  shot. 
We  were  obliged  to  bend  an  entire  fresh  set  of  sails,  but  am 
happy  to  say  the  ship  is  not  much  injured  in  her  hull.  The 
day  after  our  engagement,  we  were  spoke  by  Commodore 
Hood  in  his  Majesty's  ship  Centaur,  who  very  politely  sent  his 
surgeon  on  board  to  examine  the  wounded,  and  also  supplied 
us  with  medicines  we  were  in  want  of. 

"  On  the  gth,  we  fell  in  with  a  schooner  under  Danish 
colours,  who  informed  us  that  the  privateer  we  had  engaged 
was  the  General  Erneuf,  carrying  4  long  brass  twenty-four- 
pounders,  and  12  eighteen-pound  carronades,  and  had  on 
board,  when  she  sailed  from  Basseterre,  170  to  190  men. 
From  the  description  given,  she  must  be  the  same  vessel,  but, 
to  all  appearance,  must  have  had  more  men  on  board,  they 
being  as  throng  as  they  could  well  stand. 

"List  of  killed  and  wounded: — R.  Rishton,*  passenger, 
died  by  a  shot  in  his  side.  Captain  Leavy,  D.  M'Call,  J. 
Newman,  John  Grey,  and  Edward  Audley,  wounded,  but  fast 
recovering." 

In  February,  1806,  while  Captain  Leavy  was  on  shore, 
the  Britannia  blew  up  in  Cork  harbour.  A  lady  passenger 
and  others  on  board  perished. 

On  the  Qth  of  October,  1804,  the  Barbadoes,  Captain 
Lewis,  on  her  passage  from  Barbadoes  to  Liverpool,  beat 
off  a  French  privateer  of  14  guns  and  full  of  men,  after  a 
smart  action  of  two  hours,  in  which  the  Barbadoes  had  two 
men  severely  wounded,  one  of  whom  afterwards  died  of 
his  wounds.  During  the  engagement,  the  privateer  hoisted 
the  bloody  flag  and  attempted  to  board. 


"  Richard  Rishton,  aged  21,  son  of  the  widow  Rishton,  at  the  Waggon-and- 
Horses  public-house,  in  Blackburn." 


396  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

The  sloop  Dick,  of  Chester,  laden  with  slate,  from 
Carnarvon  to  Portsmouth,  was  captured,  near  the  Land's 
End,  by  a  French  privateer,  and  retaken  by  the  mate 
alone,  "  a  fine  daring  Welshman,"  who  was  left  on  board 
the  sloop  with  four  of  the  captors.  The  Frenchmen,  being 
frightened  at  a  gale  of  wind,  the  mate,  who  evidently  had 
some  of  the  polite  and  persuasive  qualities  of  Davy  Llewelyn, 
told  them  he  was  well  acquainted  with  a  port  under  their 
lee,  and  unless  they  would  give  up  the  helm  to  him,  every 
soul  of  them  would  perish.  They  consented,  and  he  bore 
away  for  England.  He  then,  with  the  blandness  of  the 
heathen  Chinee,  enticed  them  to  go  below,  make  a  good 
fire,  and  take  tea,  and  when  they  were  down,  kept  them 
there,  having  previously  secured  a  musket  and  hanger. 
He  carried  the  vessel  safe  into  Torbay. 

On  the  26th  of  December,  1804,  the  ship  Lord  Nelson, 
Captain  Maginnis,  the  Harmony,  Captain  Reed,  of  20 
guns,  and  the  Nymph,  Captain  Heinsen,  of  10  guns, 
sailed  in  company  for  mutual  protection,  from  St.  Thomas's 
for  Liverpool.  A  few  hours  after  they  sailed,  they  fell  in 
with  a  large  schooner  privateer  of  10  guns  (two  of  them 
long  12  pounders)  and  100  men,  all  of  whom,  as  well  as  the 
captain,  were  blacks.  Captain  Maginnis,  seeing  that  the 
privateer  was  making  a  stretch  to  cut  off  the  Nymph, 
directly  hove  to,  to  give  her  time  to  come  up  with  him.  In 
this,  however,  he  was  disappointed,  as  the  privateer 
succeeded  in  boarding  and  carrying  her.  The  Lord 
Nelson  then  continued  her  course,  the  privateer  in  chase, 
which  she  kept  up  the  whole  of  the  night,  and  at  three  p.m. 
the  following  day  the  privateer  came  up  and  the  Lord 
Nelson  prepared  for  action,  which  soon  commenced  by  the 
enemy  attempting  to  board.  This  manoeuvre  Captain 
Maginnis  evaded  by  heaving  his  ship  in  the  wind,  and 
giving  the  privateer  his  broadside  of  star  and  grape  shot. 
The  action  was  then  continued  within  pistol  shot,  with 


WARS  OF  THE  FRENCH  REVOLUTION.          397 

great  warmth  on  both  sides,  for  upwards  of  an  hour  and-a- 
half,  the  blacks  making-  several  attempts  to  board.  At 
length  the  privateer  crowded  what  sail  she  could,  and  bore 
off  in  the  most  shattered  condition,  her  rigging  being  very 
much  cut,  her  main  boom  shot  away,  and  all  her  bulwarks 
entirely  gone.  As  she  sheered  off,  the  officers  and  crew  of 
the  Lord  Nelson  gave  her  three  cheers.  The  Harmony, 
Captain  Reed,  bore  away  before  the  action  commenced, 
when  the  privateer  was  endeavouring  to  cut  off  the 
Nymph. 

The  schooner  Lancaster,  Captain  John  Pettigrew,  having 
captured  the  Die  Vigilante,  L  Union,  Les  Deux  Anges,  Der 
Guteman,  and  Vroiv  Esther,  a  dividend  was  paid  in  full  to 
the  owners  on  January  i6th,  1805,  and  also  to  the  crew  on 
the  23rd,  at  the  office  of  Messrs.  Gabriel  James  &  Co.,  59, 
Parr  Street.  This  captain  was  probably  the  same  who,  on 
the  gth  of  July,  1801,  wrote  the  following  letter,  from  Bar- 
badoes,  to  Evan  Nepean,  Esq.,  Secretary  to  the  Board  of 
Admiralty  :— 

"  SIR, — I  have  the  honour  to  acquaint  you,  for  the  infor- 
mation of  the  Lords  Commissioners  of  the  Admiralty,  that  on 
the  22nd  day  of  June,  in  N.  lat.  10  deg.  25  min.,  W.  long-,  per 
accompts.  40  deg.  18  min.,  on  board  the  ship  Intrepid,  of 
Liverpool,  bearing  Letters  of  Marque,  under  my  command, 
having  in  company  the  ships  Dominica  Packet  and  Alfred,  I 
had  the  good  fortune  to  capture,  after  a  running  engagement 
of  nearly  two  hours,  the  Spanish  frigate-built  ship  La  Galga, 
commanded  by  Francisco  de  Pascadello,  and  mounting  twenty- 
four  heavy  sixes,  and  seventy-eight  men,  bound  to  Cadiz  or 
any  port  in  Spain,  loaded  with  hides,  cocoa,  indigo,  and  copper 
in  bars,  the  quantity  not  yet  known.  I  am  happy  to  say  we 
sustained  no  other  loss  than  that  of  one  of  my  brave  men,  and 
our  sails  and  rigging  a  good  deal  cut.  The  other  ships  have 
not  sustained  any  damage,  except  the  prize,  which  has  suffered 
considerably  in  both  hull  and  masts,  and  rigging.  I  arrived 


398  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVA  TEERS. 

here  on  the  4th  of  July,  with  the  prize  and  above-mentioned 
ships,  I  have  the  honour  to  be,  etc., 

JOHN    PETTIGREW. 

"P.S. — The  Galga  has  been  at  different  ports,  but  was 
last  from  Rio  de  la  Plata." 

In  March,  1805,  there  arrived  in  the  Mersey,  the  Spanish 
ship  St.  Ana,  alias  Nostra  Hermanos,  from  Vera  Cruz  and 
the  Havannah  for  Cadiz  and  Malaga,  laden  with  60,000 
dollars,  242  chests  sugar,  1,800  pieces  logwood,  368  cwt. 
cocoa,  69  bags  wool,  etc.,  captured  on  the  i4th  of  February, 
1805,  off  St.  Mary's  by  the  Lady  Frances,  private  ship  of 
war,  Captain  Hawkins,  of  Liverpool.  The  Westmoreland, 
Captain  Goodall,  had  the  good  fortune  to  capture  a  Spanish 
ship  from  Vera  Cruz,  laden  with  sugars,  dollars,  etc.,  and 
valued  at  about  ,£25,000.  She  also  recaptured  the  Eliza, 
of  Waterford,  which  had  been  taken  by  a  Spanish  privateer, 
off  Cape  Clear. 

In  April,  1805,  the  Westmoreland,  Captain  Reed,  an  out- 
ward bound  Letter  of  Marque,  of  Liverpool,  was  taken,  after 
a  desperate  action  of  two  hours,  by  the  Spanish  ship 
privateer  Napoleon,  of  St.  Sebastian,  pierced  for  20  guns, 
and  mounting  10  nine-pounders,  and  4  eighteen-pound 
carronades,  with  180  men  on  board.  Captain  Reed  died 
of  his  wounds  soon  after  his  vessel  struck.  Six  of  his  crew 
were  killed.  The  Napoleon  was  captured  by  H.M.S.  Topaze, 
Captain  Lake. 

The  Underwriters  of  London  presented  to  Captain  Lewtas 
a  valuable  silver  cup,  with  the  following  inscription  engraven 
thereon : — 

"This  cup  is  presented  by  the  Underwriters  of  Lloyd's 
Coffee-house,  to  Captain  William  Lewtas,  of  the  ship  Venerable, 
of  Liverpool,  as  their  Testimony  to  the  Bravery  of  his  conduct 
in  twice  repulsing1,  with  great  slaughter,  a  French  privateer, 
carrying  16  guns,  and  104  men,  on  his  voyage  from  Liverpool 
to  Barbadoes,  in  March,  1805." 


WARS  OF  THE  FRENCH  REVOLUTION.          399 

In  May,  1805,  an  order  for  a  general  embargo  on 
shipping  was  issued  from  the  Admiralty.  It  was  followed 
by  a  very  hot  press  for  seamen  and  even  landsmen. 
Protections  were  altogether  disregarded,  and  ships  were 
stripped  of  their  hands,  except  such  as  were  absolutely 
necessary  to  preserve  them.  The  paper  of  May  I3th,  thus 
referred  to  the  subject : — 

"The  immediate  augmentation  of  our  naval  force  is  thought 
a  matter  of  such  pressing  necessity,  that  all  considerations  of 
individual  suffering  must,  for  the  present,  give  way.  The 
order  for  an  embargo  at  this  port  was  announced  from  the 
Custom-House  on  Thursday  ;  and,  during  the  whole  week,  the 
press  gang  had  been  indefatigable  in  their  exertions.  Persons 
of  all  professions,  as  well  as  seamen,  have  been  occasionally 
taken  ;  though  many  have  been  released,  on  proper  application 
being  made.  In  the  early  part  of  the  week  about  forty 
Irishmen,  just  landed  from  a  Dublin  packet,  and  who  were 
proceeding  up  the  country  in  search  of  employment,  were 
pressed,  and  immediately  taken  on  board  the  tender ;  but  most 
of  them  are  since  liberated.  The  embargo  extends  to  all 
vessels  bound  to  foreign  parts,  including  Ireland  and  the  Isle 
of  Man,  with  the  exception  of  ships  belonging  to  foreign 
powers,  provided  they  have  no  British  seamen  on  board.  It 
extends,  likewise,  to  coasting  vessels  of  every  description, 
except  such  as  are  laden  with  coals  and  grain." 

The  cause  of  this  extraordinary  press  for  seamen  was, 
that  the  French  and  Spanish  fleets  were  at  sea,  prepared  to 
strike  a  great  blow  either  at  the  Colonies,  at  Ireland,  or  at 
England  itself,  and  it  was  thought  urgently  necessary  to  be 
prepared  at  every  point. 

On  the  nth  of  August,  1805,  Mr-  Joseph  Whidbey,  late 
chief  mate  of  the  West  Indian,  Captain  Dunn,  wrote  the 
following  letter  to  his  friends  in  Liverpool,  from  Oporto  :— - 

"It   is    with    much    concern    I    inform  you    of    our   being 
captured  by  the  combined  fleets,  on  the  8th  of  June  last,  they 


400  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

being  20  sail  of  the  line,  7  frigates,  and  2  brigs,  the  day  after 
we  left  Antigua,  under  convoy  of  the  Netley  schooner,  who 
escaped  the  enemy  by  superior  sailing.  The  French  finding 
that  the  prizes  could  not  beat  up  to  Guadaloupe,  and  fearful 
of  Nelson  overtaking  them,  they  the  next  morning  dispatched 
5  frigates  (having  troops  on  board)  to  destroy  them  and 
afterwards  land  the  troops  at  Guadaloupe,  which  they  effected, 
putting  my  captain  and  others  on  shore  with  them.  It  was  a 
distressing  sight  to  us  to  see  our  ships  and  cargoes  burnt  and 
sunk,  when  two  English  frigates  were  bearing  down  on  them, 
but  too  late,  the  5  French  frigates  returning  at  the  time  to  join 
the  fleet.  We  were  stripped  of  every  thing  but  the  cloaths  we 
had  on.  On  the  22nd  of  July,  to  the  southward  of  Vigo,  we 
fell  in  with  the  British  fleet,  consisting  of  13  sail  of  the  line 
and  i  frigate.  We  were  crammed  below  at  six  in  the  after- 
noon, when  the  British  Tars  gave  us  three  cheers,  which  was 
returned  by  the  cowardly  Frenchmen,  and  a  heavy  cannonade 
commenced  on  both  sides.  I  was  on  board  the  Bucentanr, 
the  French  Admiral's  ship,  of  90  guns  ;  she,  with  one  of  80 
guns,  engaged  the  English  Admiral's  ship,  which  unluckily 
got  dismasted.  A  brave  74  going  to  engage  the  ship  in  our 
line  ahead  of  us,  sheered  alongside  and  poured  such  a  broad- 
side into  us  that  occasioned  not  a  few  to  be  brought  to  the 
doctor  (where  I  was),  without  arms  or  legs,  and  caused 
numbers  to  fall  on  the  decks,  headless,  and  no  doubt  our  poor 
fellows  suffered  greatly  also.  Two  Spanish  74/5  got  dismasted 
and  were  taken  ;  the  French  suffered  much  in  their  rigging 
and  people.  At  half-past  nine  at  night,  being  very  thick 
weather,  the  firing  ceased,  and  the  English  fleet,*  the  next 
morning,  lay  to  leeward  of  the  French  line,  but  the  supper  the 
Frenchmen  got  that  night  made  them  afraid  of  getting  a 
similar  breakfast,  and  indeed  I,  myself,  was  fearful  of  a 
renewal  of  the  engagement,  the  English  not  being  a  match  for 
such  a  superior  force.  The  French  bravadoed  to  me,  and  said 
they  would  bear  down  on  board  the  English.  I  told  them  to 
go,  they  were  ready  to  receive  them,  although  the  three-decker 
'Commanded  by  Admiral  Sir  Robert  Calder. 


WARS  OF  THE  FRENCH  REVOLUTION.          401 

of  the  English  was  dismasted,  but  the  thick  weather  coming 
on,  the  French  made  the  best  of  their  way  to  Vigo  Bay,  where 
we  arrived  three  days  after,  and  landed  the  prisoners,  which 
were  marched  into  the  Portuguese  dominions,  where  I  now  am, 
sufficiently  distressed." 

The  Mersey  privateer,  Captain  Baldwin,  captured  the  La 
Asia  from  Lima,  bound  to  Cadiz,  laden  with  282,151 
dollars,  46  marks,  3  oz.  of  plate  silver,  1497  chests  of 
cascarilla,  3068  cargas  of  cocoa,  583  bars  of  copper,  792 
bars  of  pewter,  19  bags  of  beaver,  18  bales  of  Spanish 
wool,  and  i  bale  of  carpets.  The  paper  of  September  2nd, 
1805,  stated  that  the  log  of  the  Mersey  was  then  on  board 
Lord  Nelson's  ship,  the  Victory,  having  been  taken  from 
on  board  an  American  vessel  on  the  I5th  of  July,  the  day 
before  he  made  Cape  St.  Vincent.  The  American  Captain 
reported  that  when  he  left  the  Mersey,  she  was  water-logged 
and  on  fire,  and  had  evident  marks  of  having  been 
employed  in  towing  a  large  vessel  which  was,  no  doubt, 
the  Spanish  prize  afterwards  recaptured  by  the  combined 
fleets. 

The  merchants  of  Liverpool  have  ever  been  prompt  and 
liberal  in  recognising  the  gallantry  of  their  captains.  That 
they  rewarded  pluck  and  faithfulness,  apart  from  success,  is 
proved  by  the  following  correspondence  which  appears  in 
Billinge's  Advertiser,  of  September  3Oth,  1805  : — 

"CAPTAIN  WILLIAM  DEAN,  Dear  Sir, — We  have  the  pleasure 
to  inform  you,  the  owners  of  the  Bellona  privateer  commanded 
by  you,  on  a  six  months'  cruize,  have  desired  us  to  present  you 
with  One  Hundred  Pounds,  as  a  token  of  the  high  opinion  they 
entertain  (notwithstanding  you  have  been  unsuccessful)  of  your 
good  conduct,  and  zeal  for  the  concern,  during  the  cruize.  We 
are,  Sir,  your  most  obedient  servants,  LAKE  &  BROWN,  Liver- 
pool Packet  Office,  September,  1805." 

"Messrs.  LAKE  &  BROWN,  and  Owners  of  the  Bellona, 
Gentlemen, — I  have  to  acknowledge  your  letter  of  this  day's 

2C 


402  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

date,  and  must  say,  the  handsome  and  liberal  manner  in  which 
you,  with  the  other  owners  of  the  Bellona,  have  been  pleased 
to  testify  your  approbation  of  my  conduct,  leaves  me  quite  at 
a  loss  how  to  express  myself  on  the"  occasion,  but  however  in- 
adequate I  may  be  to  such  an  undertaking-,  I  shall  ever  feel 
the  most  mortifying  regret  that  my  exertions  were  not  crowned 
with  the  success  due  to  such  liberal  minds,  and  I  am  proud  in 
having  the  honour  to  subscribe  myself,  your  very  obliged  and 
very  faithful  humble  servant,  WM.  DEAN." 

In  February,  1806,  the  ship  Shipley,  belonging  to 
Messrs.  Shipley,  Williams  &  Co.,  of  Liverpool,  and 
commanded  by  Captain  Wilson,  on  her  passage  to  the 
West  Indies,  was  attacked  by  a  French  three-masted 
schooner  privateer  (late  his  Majesty's  schooner  Demerara), 
mounting  14  guns  and  full  of  men.  Waiting  until  the 
breeze  was  dying  away,  she  attempted  to  board  the  ship, 
but  was  repulsed  with  the  loss  of  several  of  her  men. 
She  then,  by  means  of  her  sweeps,  dropped  under  the 
Shipley's  larboard  quarter,  and  commenced  a  very  hot  fire 
of  great  guns  and  musketry.  From  the  position  in  which 
the  ship  lay,  it  was  impossible  to  get  any  of  her  guns 
to  bear,  and  the  calm  rendered  the  vessel  unmanageable. 
In  that  situation  she  engaged  the  privateer  with  small 
arms  for  an  hour  and-a-quarter,  until  four  of  her  men 
were  killed,  Captain  Wilson  and  Mr.  Holden,  the  first 
mate,  besides  the  steward  severely  wounded  (the  former 
shot  through  the  shoulder  and  his  hand  much  shattered, 
the  mate  having  his  thigh  broken),  when  the  men,  after 
a  most  gallant  defence,  and  having  no  officers  to  command 
them,  were  obliged  to  strike.  The  French  had  their 
second  captain  and  five  men  killed  and  many  wounded. 
The  Shipley,  after  having  been  plundered  of  much  valu- 
able cargo,  which  was  carried  on  board  the  privateer, 
was  recaptured  by  H.M.S.  Galatea,  and  sent  to  Barbadoes. 

The  private  ship  of  war  Mars,  John  White,  commander, 


WARS  OF  THE  FRENCH  REVOLUTION.          403 

took  the  Dutch  brigjong  Vrow  Maria,  the  prize  money  of 
which  was  distributed  on  February  25th,  1806,  at  the 
counting  house  of  Messrs.  M'lver,  M'Viccar,  and  M'Cor- 
quodale,  in  Pownall  Street.  The  following  letter  from  the 
ill-starred  French  Admiral  Villeneuve  to  his  chief,  explains 
the  fate  of  the  Mars  :— 

"  On  board  the  Bucentaure,  off  the  Azores, 
on  the  4th  Messidor. 

"My  Lord, — I  have  the  honour  to  inform  your  Excellency, 
that  yesterday  morning-  the  advanced  frigates  discerned  two 
sail,  to  which  they  gave  chase  and  came  up  with.  One  was 
an  English  privateer,  the  Mars,  of  Liverpool,  of  14  guns  and 
50  men  ;  the  other  was  a  Spanish  ship,  the  Minerva,  which 
had  been  captured  by  the  privateer,  and  which  he  was  escorting. 
The  ship  was  coming  from  Lima,  having  been  at  sea  nearly 
five  months,  with  a  very  rich  cargo.  Independent  of  420,000 
piastres,  her  cargo  consisted  of  bark,  cocoa,  etc.  ;  the  whole 
estimation  at  from  five  to  six  millions  (French).  The  privateer 
being  much  damaged  from  boarding,  Captain  Lameillerie,  of 
the  Hortense,  set  it  on  fire,  after  taking  the  crew  on  board. 
The  Didon  manned  the  other,  and  I  have  her  under  my 
protection. 

"  I  entreat  your  Excellency  to  accept  my  respects. 

VILLENEUVE." 

The  brig  Hope,  Captain  Higgins,  of  Liverpool,  bound 
from  Oporto  to  Dublin,  laden  with  wine,  was  captured 
shortly  after  leaving  port  by  a  French  privateer,  who  took 
out  all  her  hands,  except  the  captain  and  one  man,  and, 
leaving  the  prize  in  charge  of  six  Frenchmen,  the  privateer 
bore  away.  The  captain  gave  them  plenty  of  wine  to  drink, 
with  which  they  became  so  intoxicated  as  to  render  them 
quite  helpless.  When  in  this  state,  the  captain  and  his 
assistant  secured  the  arms,  and  confined  four  of  the  sailors 
in  the  hold.  The  remaining  two  they  left  on  the  quarter 


404  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

deck  to  become  sober,  and  then  compelled  them  to  work  the 
vessel  till  they  arrived  in  an  English  port,  when  they  were 
sent  to  prison.  Having  completed  his  complement  of  hands, 
the  captain  proceeded  on  his  voyage,  but  only  to  meet  with 
worse  disaster.  On  the  night  of  the  6th  of  August,  1806, 
the  weather  being  remarkably  hazy,  the  good  brig  Hope 
struck  on  a  reef  of  rocks  off  the  Point  of  Greenore  and 
immediately  foundered.  The  crew  were  saved. 

A  remarkable  and  interesting  example  of  courage  and 
perseverance  is  afforded  in  the  escape  from  a  French  prison, 
of  Mr.  M'Dougall,  lieutenant  of  the  Laurel  privateer,  of 
Liverpool,  captured  on  the  i4th  of  June,  1803,  a°d  Mr. 
Samuel  Mottley,  a  midshipman  in  the  Navy.  Mottley  was 
taken  in  the  Minerve,  Captain  Brenton,  on  the  3rd  of  July, 
1803,  off  Cherbourg,  where  she  had  grounded  while  in 
chase  of  some  vessels.  He  and  other  officers  of  the  ship 
were  marched  to  Verdun,  after  having  been  hurried  from 
one  prison  to  another,  where  they  had  the  liberty  of  the 
town.  Mottley  got  into  some  scrape  with  the  townspeople, 
and  was  sent  a  close  prisoner  to  the  fort  of  Bitche,  in 
Lorraine,  and  confined  in  a  " souterrain,"  many  feet  below 
the  floors  of  the  prison.  Here  he  remained,  treated  with  exces- 
sive severity,  from  the  24th  of  May  till  the  22nd  of  August, 
1806,  on  which  day  he,  and  three  of  his  fellow  prisoners,  got 
leave  to  go  to  the  town  to  settle  some  affairs.  They  were 
conducted  under  a  guard,  and  therefore  lay  under  no  obli- 
gation not  to  escape,  and  it  struck  the  midshipman  that 
the  thing  might  be  accomplished.  He  communicated  his 
thoughts  to  M'Dougall,  who  appeared  to  him  the  most 
enterprising  of  the  other  three,  and  therefore  the  fittest  to 
share  in  the  daring  of  the  undertaking.  Their  minds  were 
soon  made  up,  and  a  lucky  opportunity  offered  itself.  The 
party  asked  the  guard  permission  to  bathe,  which  was 
granted,  and  Messrs.  Mottley  and  M'Dougall  left  the  river 
before  the  other  two.  Dressing  themselves,  they  told  the 


WARS  OF  THE  FRENCH  REVOLUTION.          405 

guard  they  would  go  on  to  the  hotel,  and  provide  dinner, 
the  guard  remaining  to  attend  the  others  to  the  house.  In 
a  word — they  ran  off,  and  got  away  without  hurt.  When 
they  had  marched  about  six  miles,  they  heard  alarm  guns 
firing,  and  they  pushed  on  about  an  hour  longer,  and  then 
concealed  themselves  in  a  wood,  where  they  remained  till 
half-past  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening.  They  then  made  the 
best  of  their  way  till  towards  dawn,  and  then  again  lay 
down  in  the  woods.  This  method  was  steadily  pursued 
till  the  evening  of  the  27th  of  August,  when  they  crossed 
the  Rhine  in  a  boat  they  seized  on  the  bank.  Their 
sufferings  were  extremely  great  during  the  six  days  we 
have  been  speaking  of.  They  avoided  the  high  road 
and  habitations,  and  tasted  no  food  whatever  but  fruit, 
which  they  stole  occasionally.  During  the  first  night 
and  the  last  they  waded  up  to  the  middle  in  swampy 
ground,  and  suffered  much  from  lying  wet  each  of  the 
days,  and  not  daring  to  take  exercise.  From  the  Rhine 
to  Stuttgart  they  proceeded  on  their  former  plan,  only 
they  ventured  to  obtain  food,  and  one  night,  from  exces- 
sive fatigue,  they  slept  in  a  bed  in  a  village.  At 
Stuttgart,  an  English  gentleman  advised  them  to  make 
the  best  of  their  way  to  Cassel,  Hanover,  and  Hamburg, 
which  they  did.  The  route  to  the  town  of  Hanover  was 
performed  on  foot,  on  the  same  system  as  before,  onlv  a 
little  relaxed,  and  they  slept  oftener  under  cover.  They 
walked  about  600  miles  without  shoes  or  stockings.  At 
Hanover,  they  took  a  carriage  to  Hamburg,  where  they 
saw  the  English  Consul,  who  furnished  them  with  money 
and  a  letter  to  the  English  agent  at  Husum.  They  sailed 
from  Husum  in  the  Lark  packet,  and  landed  at  Harwich 
on  the  evening  of  the  ist  of  October,  1806.  They  slept 
there  and  proceeded  next  day  to  London,  where  these 
companions  in  a  hardy  enterprise  separated  for  their 
respective  homes. 


406  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

The    great    event   of  the   year    1806   was   the    battle   of 
Jena,  which  crushed  the  Prussians,  on  the  i4th  of  October. 
On   November  2Oth,   Bonaparte  issued  his  famous  Berlin 
Decrees,  forbidding  France,  and  all  her  allies,  to  trade  with 
Great  Britain,  declaring  all  British  ports  to  be  in  a  state  of 
blockade,  all  British  subjects  wherever  found  prisoners  of 
war,  all  British  goods  lawful  prizes.       All  the  Continental 
ports  under  French  influence  were  thus  closed  against  British 
ships  ;  all  neutral  vessels  which  had  touched  at  a  British 
port  were  excluded.     Bonaparte,  deprived  of  his  navy  by  the 
glorious  victory  of  Trafalgar,  hoped,  by  means  of  the  Decrees, 
to  strike  a  heavy  blow  at  British  trade — the  secret  of  British 
strength,  as  he  well  knew.     Great  Britain  retaliated  by  an 
Order  in  Council,  dated  the  yth  of  January,  1807,  which 
declared  all  the  ports  in  the  French  Empire  in  a  state  of 
blockade,  and  prohibited  all  neutrals  from  trading  with  the 
enemy  ; — that  no  vessel  should  trade  from  one  enemy's  port 
to  another  of  a  French  or  French  allies'  coast  closed  against 
British    vessels.      In    November,    1807,   another    Order   in 
Council  enacted   that  no   vessel   whatever  should  enter  a 
French  port  unless  she  had  previously  touched  at  a  British 
one  ;  and  claimed  the  right  of  searching  neutral  bottoms  for 
the  purpose  of  carrying  out  this  regulation.     This  was  out- 
heroding  Herod,  and  Great  Britain,  being  mistress  of  the 
seas,  was  able  to  effectively  blockade  the  Mediterranean,  the 
Baltic,  and  the  French  ports,  and  practically  to  sweep  from 
the  ocean  the  commerce  of  France  and  her  allies.      On  the 
1 7th  of  December,    Bonaparte   issued    his    Milan    Decree, 
which  declared  all  merchant  vessels  of  whatsoever  nation, 
which  should  submit  to  the  British  Orders  in  Council,  to  be 
lawful  prizes  to  the  French.     Consequent  on  this,  a  number 
of  American  ships  were  seized  and  confiscated  in  the  ports 
of  France  and  Italy.       It  was  a  war  of  commercial  exter- 
mination.    These  high-handed  proceedings  found  favour  at 
first  with  the  commercial  community  of  this  country  ;  but 


WARS  OF  THE  FRENCH  REVOLUTION.          407 

ere  long  the  pressure  had  to  be  mitigated  by  the  grant  of 
licenses  exempting  particular  ships  from  the  operation  of 
the  law,  and  this  opened  the  door  to  forgery  and  fraud. 
Unfortunately  this  was  not  all  the  mischief  caused  by  the 
Orders  in  Council.  Their  enforcement  made  us  enemies  of 
neutral  states  who  wished  to  trade  with  France.  The 
Americans  naturally  resisted  the  assumption  of  the  right  of 
search,  and  passed  Acts  in  retaliation.  The  united  result  of 
the  Berlin  Decree,  of  the  Orders  in  Council,  and  of  the 
American  embargo,  was  to  suspend  and,  for  a  time,  destroy 
the  commerce  of  the  United  States.  "Our  commerce  at 
this  moment"  said  the  Boston  Centinel,"\s  like  a  poor  flying 
fish,  pursued  from  below  by  a  couple  of  dolphins,  and  from 
above  by  a  couple  of  hawks.  While  the  French  blockading 
decree,  and  the  English  retaliatory  Order  in  Council,  pursue 
it  on  one  side,  the  non-importation  act  and  the  general 
embargo  assail  it  on  the  other. "  The  evil  effects  of  this  policy 
were  soon  felt  in  Liverpool.  In  one  year  its  commerce 
declined  by  the  amount  of  146,000  tons,  or  nearly  one-fourth  of 
the  entire  trade.  In  spite  of  this  drawback,  the  Liverpool 
docks  weresoon  after  found  to  be  insufficient  for  the  accommo- 
dation of  the  commerce  of  the  port,  in  consequence  of  the 
opening  of  the  trade  with  Spain  and  Portugal,  and  with  their 
colonies  in  America.  So  it  has  ever  been,  and  so  may  it 
ever  be,  with  Liverpool  trade — the  closing  of  one  door  has 
been  but  the  prelude  to  the  opening  of  another  ;  and  the 
merchant  on  shore,  as  well  as  the  sailor  on  the  sea,  has  been 
distinguished  by  courage,  resourcefulness,  and  endurance,  in 
every  crisis  in  the  history  of  the  port. 

On  the  i  yth  of  May,  1807,  Captain  Frears,  of  the  ship 
Fortitude,  wrote  to  his  owners  in  Liverpool,  from  Port 
Royal,  Jamaica,  as  follows: — 

"  Nothing-  material  occurred  after  our  leaving-  St.  Thomas', 
until  the  morning  of  the  i4th  inst.,  at  daylight,  the  Port  of 
Jaquemel,  N.N.W.  distant  n  miles,  saw  two  schooners  close 


408  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

in  with  the  land.  At  half-past  five  o'clock,  perceived  them  to 
be  armed  vessels,  pulling-  a  considerable  quantity  of  sweeps. 
As  there  was  not  a  breath  of  wind,  came  up  very  fast,  just  gave 
me  time  to  get  in  readiness  to  receive  them.  At  seven,  hoisted 
French  colours,  and  continued  sweeping  towards  us,  and  firing 
their  great  gains  at  intervals.  At  a  little  before  eight,  com- 
menced our  fire  with  what  guns  I  could  get  to  bear,  which  made 
them  retreat  out  of  gunshot.  At  half-past  eight,  swept  up 
again  on  either  quarter  to  board.  In  this  situation  remained 
until  ten,  keeping1  constant  fire  at  them  with  what  guns  I  could 
get  to  bear.  At  a  quarter-past  ten,  got  their  boats  out,  and 
grappling  up  to  the  square-sail  yard-arms.  At  eleven,  clapt 
me  alongside,  one  on  each  quarter.  As  there  was  no  wind,  I 
could  not  work  the  ship  to  get  our  guns  to  bear  as  I  could  wish. 
The  fire,  believe  me,  Gentlemen,  was  tremendous.  My  two 
after-most  guns,  with  the  carronades,  were  all  the  guns  of 
service  to  me,  with  my  small  arms — but  alas  !  what  was  my 
musketry  to  contend  with  185  men,  some  on  one  side,  and  some 
on  another.  At  meridian,  boarded  me,  cutting  up  every  person 
who  could  not  get  out  of  their  way.  I  am  sorry  to  say  that 
my  loss  is  so  great,  4  men  killed,  8  dangerously  and  4  slightly 
wounded.  Every  praise  is  due  to  my  officers  and  men  ;  they 
behaved  like  Englishmen  to  the  last  moment.  I  am  sorry  to 
see  so  many  suffer,  although  I  suffer  most  myself,  having 
received  at  boarding  a  ball  through  the  thigh,  and  a  dangerous 
cut  on  the  cheek  and  ear.  At  six  p.m.,  of  the  same,  the  ship 
was  recaptured  by  his  Majesty's  ship  Heureux,  and  sent  for 
this  port,  where  we  arrived  this  day. 

"The  following  are  the  names  of  the  killed  and  wounded 
on  board  the  Fortitude  : — 

"Killed--  Mr.  Charles  M'Adam,  Junr.,  supercargo, 
James  Harrington,  William  Williams,  Francis  Frederay, 
seamen. 

"Wounded  dangerously — Robert  Frears,  captain;  Hugh 
Rogers,  boatswain;  Thomas  Williams,  William  Catton,  Jacob 
Peterson,  James  Hamilton,  Donald  Mark,  Nathaniel  Hunt, 
seamen. 


WARS  OF  THE  FRENCH  REVOLUTION.          409 

"Wounded  slightly — Joseph  Dunn,  Joseph  Edwards,  John 
Jones,  John  Tyrer,  seamen." 

The  paper  of  October  5th,  in  recording  the  death  of  the 
brave  Captain  Frears,  at  the  early  age  of  30,  observes, 
"the  severe  wounds  he  received  in  his  gallant  but  fruitless 
attempt  to  preserve  his  ship  from  the  grasp  of  the  enemy 
(two  French  privateers  of  superior  force),  off  St.  Domingo, 
on  the  I4th  of  May  last,  brought  on  a  fatal  illness,  which 
has  at  length  terminated  his  existence,  and  left  his  family 
and  friends  to  lament  his  loss." 

At  sunset,  on  the  ist  of  August,  1807,  the  brig  Pope,  of 
Liverpool,  Captain  Masheter,  carrying  12  six-pounders  and 
25  men,  on  her  passage  from  Liverpool  to  Barbadoes,  when 
within  a  day's  sail  of  her  destination,  and  soon  after 
speaking  one  of  the  King's  cruisers,  fell  in  with  the  French 
privateer  schooner  Le  Jeune  Richard,  mounting  8  twelve- 
pounders  and  1 20  men.  Taking  advantage  of  the  night, 
while  the  privateer  kept  aloof  to  reconnoitre,  Captain 
Masheter  battened  down  his  hatches,  made  the  best 
arrangements  for  the  attack,  and  nailed  his  colours  to  the 
mast.  At  sunrise,  the  action  commenced,  and  was  kept  up 
with  unabating  spirit  on  both  sides  for  an  hour  and-a-half, 
during  which  Captain  Masheter  lost  his  right  leg,  and  his 
left  arm,  and  some  of  his  men  were  desperately  wounded. 
The  enemy  then  boarded,  and  carried  the  brig,  which  lost, 
in  the  stubborn  and  sanguinary  contest,  besides  the  gallant 
Captain,  who  was  now  completely  cut  down,  the  first  and 
second  mates  and  three  seamen  killed,  and  four  seamen 
wounded.  The  privateer  and  her  prize  arrived  at  Point-a- 
Petre  (Guadaloupe)  on  the  4th  of  August.  The  loss  of  the 
privateer  was  said  to  be  only  three  or  four  men,  which  is 
probable  enough  from  the  great  disparity  in  numbers  of 
those  opposed  to  her.  Two  months  later  the  privateer 
encountered  Nemesis  in  the  shape  of  the  Windsor  Castle 
Packet,  Captain  Rogers.  A  passenger  on  board  the  packet, 


4 1 0  THE  LI  VERPOOL  PRIVA  TEERS. 

writing  from  Barbadoes  on  the  3rd  of  October,  1807,  gives 
the  following  account  of  the  affair  : — 

"  We  are  just  landed  here  after -an  unpleasant  passage  of 
37  days,  and  experiencing-  one  of  the  most  desperate  actions 
which  has  been  fought  this  war,  though,  thank  God,  we  have 
been  victorious,  and  have  cleared  those  seas  of  one  of  the 
fastest  sailing  privateers  out  of  Guadaloupe,  which  had  in  the 
last  six  weeks  taken  no  less  than  six  fine  running  ships,  viz. — 
the  America  and  Clio  in  company,  the  Margaret,  the  Pope,  the 
Portsea,  and  another.  When  we  met  her  she  was  six  days  on 
a  fresh  cruize,  with  86  men,  and  6  long  sixes  and  r  long  thirty- 
two-pounder  gun.  Our  force  consisted  of  6  guns,  short  sixes, 
and  30  men,  including  3  passengers.  We  lost  3  men  killed, 
and  7  wounded,  the  first  broadside  ;  but  I  am  happy  to  say 
that  with  the  remainder,  in  an  hour  and  forty  minutes,  such 
was  their  gallantry,  that  they  carried  the  privateer,  after 
killing  26,  wounding  30,  and  making  prisoners  of  30  not 
wounded,  in  all  60  prisoners,  almost  treble  the  number  we  had 
left  for  duty.  We  have  therefore,  as  you  may  suppose,  had 
little  comfort  for  the  last  three  days,  not  having  had  our 
clothes  off,  and  being  obliged  to  sleep  upon  deck  in  order  to 
secure  the  prisoners.  But  I  have  so  little  time  for  the 
Barbadoes,  and  am  so  nervous,  that  I  cannot  enter  more  into 
detail  by  this  opportunity,  and  can  only  say  that  if  any  man 
has  deserved  a  token  of  merit  from  your  Underwriters, 
Captain  Rogers  deserves  it  in  the  highest  degree.  He  is  a 
young  man,  his  first  voyage  as  Acting  Captain  (the  Captain 
being  left  at  home),  and  has  therefore  nothing  but  his  merit 
to  depend  upon.  He  was  left  with  only  10  men  about  him  for 
the  last  half-hour,  rallying  them  to  their  duty,  with  a  deter- 
mination to  carry  the  prize,  which  repeatedly  endeavoured  to 
clear  from  the  packet,  but  was  too  fast  lashed  by  her  bowsprit 
to  escape,  and  he  boarded  her  at  the  head  of  four  men,  and 
charged  her  decks  with  a  gallantry  never  excelled  and  seldom 
equalled.  The  officers  of  the  man-of-war  here  are  astonished 
when  they  look  at  the  two  vessels  and  their  crews,  and, 


WARS  OF  THE  FRENCH  REVOLUTION.  411 

instantly  in  the  handsomest  manner  relinquished  all  claim  to 

the  prize." 

"  His  Majesty's  Post-Masters  General,"  says  Billinge's 
Liverpool  Advertiser,  of  February  ist,  1808,  "have  ap- 
pointed Mr.  Rogers,  the  Acting-Captain  of  the  Windsor 
Castle  Packet,  to  a  command.  Few  instances  can  be 
found  of  more  determined  bravery  than  that  shown  by  the 
whole  crew,  which  consisted  of  only  28  men  and  boys.  The 
muster  roll  of  the  French  privateer  had  109  men,  of  whom 
there  appeared,  on  the  arrival  of  the  packet  at  Barbadoes, 
61  killed  and  wounded,  forty  of  whom  were  mowed  down 
by  the  last  fire."  The  same  paper  published  the  following 
paragraph  on  the  4th  July,  1808  :— 

"  A  few  days  since,  an  elegant  silver  cup,  value  sixty 
guineas,  was  presented  to  Captain  William  Rogers,  of 
his  Majesty's  Packet  Windsor  Castle,  with  the  following 
inscription  engraven  thereon  : — 

"  Presented  by  the  Underwriters  of  Liverpool  to  Mr. 
William  Rogers,  Acting-Captain  of  his  Majesty's  packet  Wind- 
sor Castle,  as  a  testimony  of  their  high  sense  of  his  distin- 
guished gallantry  in  defending  that  vessel  with  a  force  of  28  men 
and  boys  against  the  French  privateer  Le  Jeune  Richard,  with 
a  crew  of  92  men,  which  he  bravely  boarded  at  the  head  of 
five  followers,  and  captured  on  the  ist  of  October,  1807,  after 
an  action  of  four  hours,  in  which  he  had  13  men  killed  and 
wounded  ;  the  enemy,  54  killed  and  wounded.  Thus  in  the 
hour  of  battle  displaying  to  his  countrymen  an  example 
inspired  by  the  soul  of  the  immortal  Nelson,  that  England 
expects  every  man  will  do  his  duty." 

"In  addition  to  the  above  was  added  ^130  from  the 
merchants  and  Underwriters  of  Liverpool,  to  be  distributed 
amongst  the  officers  and  crew  of  the  Windsor  Castle,  as  a 
testimony  of  their  high  approbation  of  the  great  bravery 
displayed  by  them  on  the  above  memorable  occasion."* 

*  Captain  Rogers  acknowledged  the  presentation  in  the  following  letter   dated 
Falmouth,  2Oth  July,  1808  : — 


4 1 2  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVA  TEERS. 

On  the  28th  of  August,  1807,  the  Diana,  Captain  Lewis, 
a  Liverpool  Letter  of  Marque,  bound  to  Port-au-Prince, 
was  attacked  by  the  La  Vengeance  French  schooner 
privateer,  Captain  Bligh,  from  'Guadaloupe,  mounting 
12  nine-pounder  carronades,  and  100  men.  The  privateer 
attempted  to  board,  but  was  repulsed,  four  of  the  boarders 
being  taken  prisoners,  two  of  them  badly  wounded,  and  the 
privateer's  foremast  and  bowsprit  shot  away.  The  Diana 
received  considerable  damage,  but  managed  to  rejoin  the 
Hannah,  which  had  been  unable  to  take  part  in  the  engage- 
ment. Captain  Lewis  was  shot  through  the  thigh,  and 
wounded  in  the  face,  while  several  of  his  men  were  also 
wounded. 

In  a  letter  from  Captain  James,  of  the  ship  Glenmore, 
written  to  his  owners  from  Madeira  on  the  i2th  of  Novem- 
ber, 1807,  we  have  an  account  of  another  gallant 
and  successful  defence  made  by  a  Liverpool  Letter  of 
Marque  : — 

"  On  Wednesday,  2ist  October,  a  suspicious  sail  ap- 
peared on  our  wake,  about  seven  p.m.,  when  we  beat  to 
quarters.  At  eight  she  fired  into  us,  which  we  returned 
with  2  nine-pounders.  I  immediately  hailed  him,  but  the 
answer  he  returned  was  not  satisfactory  ;  however,  he 
sheered  off  and  kept  without  the  reach  of  our  guns  all  night. 
At  five  a.m.  saw  him  bear  down  towards  us,  at  seven  he  was 
in  our  wake,  and  observing  no  stern  guns,  no  doubt  was 
determined  to  keep  us  end  on,  so  as  to  drive  us  from  our 
quarters,  but  he  was  mistaken,  for  as  soon  as  he  came  within 
gunshot,  we  lowered  down  the  jolly-boat  and  fired  2  heavy 

"  To  the  Merchants  and  Underwriters  of  Liverpool. 

"GENTLEMEN, — I  beg  leave  to  return  you  my  most  grateful  thanks  for  the 
distinguished  honour  you  have  so  generously  conferred  on  me,  by  presenting  me 
with  a  piece  of  plate,  for  the  service  I  performed  on  board  the  Windsor  Castle 
packet,  in  capturing  the  French  privateer  Le  Jeune  Richard,  and  be  assured, 
whenever  an  opportunity  offers,  I  shall  not  be  found  wanting  in  the  duty  I  owe  to 
my  country,  to  support  the  high  opinion  you  have  entertained  of  my  conduct. 
"  I  remain,  with  great  respect,  Gentlemen, 

"  Your  most  obedient  and  most  humble  servant, 

"WILLIAM  ROGERS." 


WARS  OF  THE  FRENCH  REVOLUTION.          413 

long1  nines  into  him,  which  in  the  course  of  the  night  we  had 
placed  there.  But  notwithstanding  a  well  directed  fire  from 
our  stern,  he  still  persevered  in  his  attempts  to  board.  At 
half  past  eight  he  attempted  our  starboard  quarter,  but  we 
rounded  to  and  gave  him  a  broadside.  He  immediately  wore 
round,  expecting  to  get  on  our  larboard  side,  but  he  found  we 
were  ready  to  receive  him  there  ;  he  was  then  within  pistol- 
shot  of  us.  A  continual  fire  on  both  sides  continued  until 
half-past  nine,  when  we  drove  them  from  their  quarters,  and 
not  a  man  was  to  be  seen,  nor  a  single  shot  from  him.  I  then 
hailed  him  and  enquired  why  he  should  attempt  a  second  time 
such  a  ship  as  ours  ?  His  answer  was,  'I  wished  to  try  what 
you  was,'  and  immediately  upwards  of  100  men  made  their 
appearance.  From  the  small  number  I  had  on  board,  was 
afraid  to  attempt  boarding  him.  As  he  had  the  superiority  in 
sailing,  he  immediately  made  sail  and  stood  to  the  west.  She 
was  a  beautiful  vessel,  pierced  for  16  guns,  and  mounted  14 
brass  six-pounders,  as  the  wad  found  on  our  decks  was 
covered  with  verdigrease,  and  about  the  size  of  our  sixes  ; 
she  was  apparently  a  new  lugger.  For  the  gallant  behaviour 
of  my  sailors  I  have  promised  them  five  guineas  reward  to 
drink,  which  I  certainly  think  they  deserve,  as  in  the  very  heat 
of  the  action  they  gave  three  cheers,  and  sung  out  '  Conquer 
or  Die.'  I  am  happy  to  say  not  a  man  was  hurt  on  board  our 
ship,  though  many  shot  have  gone  through  our  bulwarks  and 
cloths,  some  of  our  running  rigging  is  cut,  and  several  shot 
through  our  sails.  We  must  have  done  him  much  damage,  as 
we  fired  75  shot,  18  of  which  were  from  our  stern  guns." 

In  July,  1807,  an  important  lawsuit  arising  from 
Liverpool  privateering  was  tried  in  the  Court  of  King's 
Bench,  before  Lord  Ellenborough  and  a  special  jury. 
Messrs.  Hobsons  and  others,  the  owners  of  the  Eliza 
privateer,  Captain  Keene,  of  Liverpool,  claimed  ^2888 
los.  6d.  from  the  Hon.  Captain  Blackwood,  being  a  loss 
sustained  by  the  plaintiffs  in  consequence  of  the  act  of 
the  defendant,  who,  being  in  command  of  H.M.S.  the 


414  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

Enryalus,  in  1805,  sent  a  lieutenant  on  board  the 
Eliza  (which  the  plaintiffs  had  sent  to  sea  three  weeks 
before,  fitted  out  for  a  cruise,  with  Letters  of  Marque,  etc., 
manned  with  41  men  and  boys),  impressed  four  of  her 
men,  and  carried  them  off,  although  the  captain  of  the  Eliza 
produced  the  usual  protection  from  the  Lords  Commisioners 
of  the  Admiralty.  In  a  few  days  after,  that  is,  on  the  4th 
of  April,  1805,  the  Eliza,  in  company  with  the  Greyhound 
privateer,  of  Guernsey,  fell  in  with  and  captured,  off  the 
Azores,  after  an  action  of  one  hour  and  forty  minutes,  a 
rich  Spanish  ship,  called  La  dos  Amigas,  24  guns,  bound 
from  Lima  to  Cadiz.  She  was  about  700  tons  burthen,  and 
laden  with  179,935  dollars,  473  marks  of  worked  silver,  561 
chests  of  cascarilla,  54  bags  3  serons  of  wool,  40  serons  of 
sea-wolf  skins,  9  serons  of  indigo,  i  chest  of  drugs,  17,507 
cargas  of  Guayaquil  cocoa,  1,745  bars  of  copper,  3,398  bars 
of  pewter.  The  prize-money  which  this  rich  haul  enabled 
the  privateers  afterwards  to  divide,  amounted  to  upwards  of 
^"151,000.  In  the  distribution  of  the  prize-money,  in  captures 
of  this  description,  the  owners  of  the  privateers  shared  three- 
fourths,  and  the  crew  the  remaining  one-fourth  ;  and  where 
there  was  a  joint  capture,  each  ship,  upon  such  distribution, 
was  entitled  to  her  portion  according  to  the  number  of  hands 
on  board  at  the  time  of  the  capture.  In  consequence,  there- 
fore, of  Captain  Blackwood's  high-handed  proceeding  in 
impressing  four  of  her  hands,  the  Eliza's  share  of  prize- 
money  became  proportionally  less  by  upwards  of  ^"3,000,  to 
recover  their  dividend  of  which,  the  plaintiffs  brought  the 
action.  It  was  contended  for  the  defence  that  the  certificate 
and  protection  produced  by  the  captain  of  the  Eliza  were 
frauds  upon  the  Admiralty,  and  justified  the  taking  of  the 
men  in  question.  It  appeared  upon  the  evidence  of  Lieutenant 
Methuen,  of  the  Euryalus,  that  Captain  Blackwood,  having 
orders  to  impress  able  seamen  for  his  Majesty's  service, 
sent  the  witness  on  board  the  Eliza,  to  examine  her  hands, 


WARS  OF  THE  FRENCH  REVOLUTION.  415 

and  impress  any  of  them  that  might  be  liable.  He  accord- 
ingly had  the  crew  mustered  on  the  deck,  and  upon  compar- 
ing them  by  name,  age,  and  description,  with  the  license  from 
the  Admiralty,  he  found  that  some  of  them  did  not  in  any 
way  answer  the  description  given,  either  as  to  age,  name, 
or  appearance,  and  by  the  account  given  of  their  ages,  by 
the  four  men  whom  he  did  so  impress,  he  found  they  varied 
three,  four,  and  five  years  from  the  description  in  such 
license.  It  also  appeared,  that  the  Letter  of  Marque  was 
originally  granted  for  a  complement  of  50  men ;  but  from 
the  certificate  granted  at  the  Liverpool  Custom-house,  the 
parties  had  sworn  only  to  a  complement  of  35  men  and  boys. 
It  appeared,  however,  that  from  the  difficulty  of  procuring 
men  for  such  service  in  the  port  of  Liverpool,  the  parties 
were  not  limited  to  35  men,  but  had  the  power  to  engage 
more  if  they  could  be  procured.  Lord  Ellenborough,  in 
summing  up  the  evidence  to  the  jury,  observed  that  the  first 
question  was  whether  the  defendant  was  duly  authorised  to 
impress  men?  Of  this  there  could  be  no  doubt,  as  the  good 
of  the  service  required  that  a  certain  description  of  persons 
should  be  liable  to  be  impressed,  and  in  almost  every  case 
captains  of  his  Majesty's  ships  had  such  power  vested  in 
them.  The  next  question  was  whether  these  men  so 
impressed,  answered  the  description  (in  point  of  age  and 
appearance)  given  in  the  license.  Captain  Blackwood,  his 
Lordship  continued,  could  have  no  sinister  purposes  to 
answer  in  taking  these  men.  It  was  a  part  of  his  duty,  and 
from  the  well-known  fame  and  character  of  that  gallant 
officer — whose  life  must  always  make  a  prominent  feature  in 
the  naval  annals  of  this  country, — there  could  be  no  doubt,  if 
he  had  acted  improperly,  or  rather  illegally  in  impressing 
these  men,  he  could  have  done  it  with  no  other  motives  but 
with  a  view  to  the  public  service.  His  Lordship  did  not  mean 
this  as  any  compliment  to  that  honourable  officer,  whose 
services  were  too  well  known  to  require  any  eulogium.  At 


416  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

the  same  time,  if  any  indulgence  was  to  be  made  for  an  error 
of  this  nature,  certainly  no  man  was  more  entitled  to  have 
such  indulgence  than  the  defendant.  But  it  was  their  duty 
to  decide  wholly  upon  the  facts  before  them  in  evidence;  and 
they  would  consider  whether  he  was  justified  in  this  pro- 
ceeding, and  if  not,  what  compensation  in  damages  the 
plaintiffs  were  entitled  to.  The  jury  brought  in  a  verdict 
for  the  plaintiffs — damages,  ^2,888  IDS.  6d. 

Captain  Phillips,  writing  from  Guadaloupe,  on  March 
2Oth,  1808,  gives  the  following  account  of  the  capture 
of  the  Robert : — 

"We  sailed  from  Africa,  5th  February.  Nothing  par- 
ticular occurred  until  the  6th  of  March.  On  that  day  we 
saw  a  sail,  and  immediately  knew  her  to  be  a  cruizer,  upon 
which  we  made  every  preparation  to  engage  her,  determined 
to  resist  being  taken,  or  sell  our  vessel  dearly.  About  7  p.m. 
she  was  right  astern,  and  commenced  firing  from  a  long 
artillery  eighteen-pounder  (whilst  the  Robert's  stern  chasers 
would  not  reach  him).  He  kept  in  that  position  for  an  hour, 
then  run  close  up  under  the  stern  and  quarter,  pouring  in  his 
small  arms  with  an  intention  of  boarding.  Fortunately  a  shot 
from  the  Robert,  at  this  moment  (as  I  afterwards  found)  killed 
two  men,  and  wounded  three  others  on  board  the  privateer, 
and  materially  damaged  his  foremast.  He  then  sheered  off, 
but  kept  in  sight  all  that  night,  during  which  we  were  every 
moment  expecting  him  to  renew  the  engagement.  However, 
at  7  a.m.,  being  daylight,  he  came  up  under  the  larboard 
quarter,  and  kept  up  a  constant  fire  from  his  gun  and  small 
arms,  for  upwards  of  an  hour,  when  the  fire  from  the  privateer 
caught  the  arm-chest  on  the  poop,  which  exploded,  and  made 
sad  work  amongst  such  as  were  near  it,  who  were  dreadfully 
scorched  by  the  cartouch  boxes  exploding  about  them.  In 
this  situation,  the  privateer  boarded,  and  after  a  quarter  of  an 
hour's  fruitless  resistance,  they  succeeded  in  gaining  posses- 
sion ;  they  then  hauled  down  our  colours.  Mr.  Youd,  the 
chief  mate,  was  dangerously  wounded  by  a  musket  ball  near  the 


WARS  OF  THE  FRENCH  REVOLUTION.  417 

temples,  but  the  ball  is  since  extracted,  and  I  hope  he  will 
recover.  Stephen  Baker,  William  Gray,  Philip  Crawley,  and 
John  Post,  seamen,  were  wounded,  and  now  in  the  hospital, 
where  great  attention  is  paid  them.  From  being"  immediately 
hurried  on  board  the  privateer,  I  cannot  exactly  inform  you  of 
the  fate  of  those  who  remained  on  board  the  Robert;  but  by  a 
French  gentleman  who  arrived  here  from  Martinique,  I  am 
informed  the  Robert  arrived  there  the  1 2th  inst. ;  that  the 
Doctor  was,  it  is  feared,  mortally  wounded,  and  that  several 
of  our  crew  are  since  dead  of  their  wounds." 

The  following  is  an  extract  from  a  letter  written  by  Mr. 
J.  L.  Forrester,  on  board  the  armed  ship  Active,  of  12  guns, 
Captain  Teed,  of  Liverpool,  dated  harbour  of  Chaquaramas, 
Trinidad,  July  i8th,  1808:— 

"  On  the  1 6th  inst.  we  made  the  river  Demerara,  off  which 
we  fell  in  with  a  vessel,  which  we  supposed  to  be  a  Demerara 
dogger,  or  pilot  boat ;  but  on  hailing,  she  proved  to  be  a 
Spanish  privateer,  and  a  running  fight  commenced,  which 
ended  in  her  sheering  off  into  shoal  water.  This  lasted  about 
forty  minutes,  and  in  bearing  up  for  our  port,  we  found  our- 
selves about  12  or  15  miles  to  leeward  of  Demerara;  and 
knowing  the  impossibility  of  beating  to  windward  with  a  ship 
so  deeply  laden,  our  bends  being  actually  under  water,  we 
resolved  to  bear  up  for  this  island,  to  which  we  were  welcomed 
at  six  o'clock  this  morning  by  a  French  privateer  of  consider- 
able force,  who  seemed  certain  of  her  prize.  On  our  firing  a 
gun  for  her  to  shew  her  colours,  she  had  the  impudence  to  run 
alongside,  sent  a  hand  to  the  mast-head,  who  either  lashed  or 
nailed  her  colours,  and  then  returned  us  two  guns,  and  a  volley 
of  musquetry.  The  latter  seemed  a  continual  shower  during 
the  whole  of  the  engagement,  which  lasted  an  hour  and  a 
quarter.  We  had  no  one  hurt  on  board,  many  shot-holes 
through  our  sails,  and  some  trifling  injury  to  our  rigging." 

Captain  Bibby,  of  the  Juliana,  writing  to  his  brother,  in 
Liverpool,  on  the  yth  of  October,  1808,  from  sea,  the  Lizard 
bearing  E.  by  N.  distant  15  leagues,  says  : — 

2D 


418  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

"  This  is  to  inform  you  of  the  death  of  Captain  Bosworth, 
which  took  place  on  the  4th  ult.,  after  an  illness  of  eight  days, 
after  which  nothing  material  occurred  until  the  2nd  inst. ,  when 
at  three  p.m.  we  fell  in  with  a  French  privateer,  full  of  men,  he 
having  an  English  Jack  hoisted  at  the  main.  We  took  him 
for  an  English  gun-brig ;  we,  however,  cleared  for  action,  and 
he  sheered  up  under  our  quarter,  till  within  half  pistol  shot, 
when  he  hoisted  French  colours,  and  without  hailing,  fired  into 
us  with  his  great  guns  and  small  arms,  his  deck  crowded  with 
men,  which  we  returned  with  a  broadside,  our  guns  being 
loaded  with  round  and  canister  shot,  when  he  hauled  his  wind, 
firing  his  musketry,  we  firing  our  great  guns  as  long  as  they 
could  reach  him.  At  five  p.m.,  she  having  left  us,  we  stood 
on  our  course,  not  being  in  a  condition  to  follow  him,  being 
damaged  in  our  hull,  rigging,  and  sails,  and  the  ship  making 
a  considerable  quantity  of  water.  At  six  p.m.,  lost  sight  of 
the  privateer.  At  half-past  eight  a.m.,  in  lat.  49.  44.  long.  12.  6. 
saw  a  brig  ahead,  cleared  for  action  ;  at  half-past  eleven  a.m., 
hoisted  a  French  ensign,  when  she  hove  to,  and  shewed 
Hambro  colours.  We  then  fired  a  gun,  pulled  down  the  French, 
and  hoisted  English  colours,  and  went  on  board  to  overhaul  her, 
when  finding  the  Captain  had  different  papers,  one  not  agreeing 
with  the  other,  we  took  possession,  and  ordered  her  for  Liver- 
pool. At  half-past  one  p.m.,  discovered  a  strange  sail;  at  seven 
p.m.,  she  came  up  with  us,  and  proved  to  be  H.M.  sloop  of  war 
brig  Muttne,  Capt.  Hugh  Steward,  who  carried  me  and  the 
captain  of  the  brig,  with  the  papers  of  both  vessels,  on  board 
his  ship,  saying  he  would  take  the  brig  from  us.  He  then  sent 
his  boat  and  took  Wm.  Gourley  and  the  men  we  had  left  on 
board  the  brig,  out  of  her,  putting  his  own  people  on  board, 
not  suffering  mine  to  take  a  single  article  of  their  cloathing 
except  what  they  had  on ;  nor  can  we  get  to  speak  to  the 
Captain  of  the  man-of-war  to  get  the  people's  cloaths  over- 
board. Fortunately,  not  a  man  of  our  crew  was  hurt.  N.B. 
The  name  of  our  prize  is  Johanna. 

The  following  letter  was  written  at  sea,  in  lat.  45,  long. 
13.    18  W.,  by  Mr.  William  Hymers,  commander  of  the 


WARS  OF  THE  FRENCH  REVOLUTION.          419 

snow  Shaw,  to  her  owners,  Messrs.  John  D.  Case  &  Co.,  of 
Liverpool: — 

"  GENTLEMEN, — I  am  sorry  to  inform  you  that  on  Wednes- 
day, November  3rd,  1808,  I  saw  a  roguish-looking  brig  to 
windward,  cleared  ship  for  action,  at  half-past  three  p.m.,  he 
bore  down  into  our  wake,  under  a  press  of  sail,  with  an  English 
Jack  flying.  I  shewed  Spanish  colours.  At  five  p.m.,  he  down 
English  colours,  and  up  French  ensign,  and  wore  round  and 
gave  us  his  larboard  broadside.  We  commenced  firing  our 
stern  chasers,  continued  firing  two  glasses;  he  dropped  astern, 
having  been  a  little  disabled.  At  daylight  the  privateer 
appeared  off  our  starboard  quarter;  at  half-past  eight  a.m., 
commenced  close  action,  and  continued  without  intermission 
until  half-past  eleven  a.m.  He  then  out  sweeps  and  sweeped 
from  us.  We  then  gave  him  three  cheers,  and  when  I  came  to 
look  over  the  shot  I  had  left,  I  must  say  that  I  was  heartily 
glad  that  he  had  sheered  off,  as  I  had  only  six  rounds,  13 
cannister,  and  15  langridge  shot,  and  no  cartridges.  I  have 
cut  up  all  my  stockings,  and  the  ship's  company  followed  my 
example;  I  then  tied  up  all  the  carpenter's  nails  and  tools  that 
would  go  into  a  gun,  and  the  cabouse  lead.  As  the  privateer 
was  only  laying  out  at  gunshot,  I  perceived  that  he  had  a  mind 
for  another  tack  as  soon  as  he  was  ready.  I  saw  him  get  his 
stink-pots  on  his  main  yard-arm,  and  his  grapplings  on  his  fore 
yard-arm.  I  then  got  a  spare  main-yard  athwart  abaft  to 
prevent  him  getting  on  our  quarter.  At  one  p.m.,  he  crowded 
all  sail  and  sweeped  up  in  our  wake.  As  soon  as  our  stern  guns 
would  reach  him,  we  slapped  away,  and  shot  away  his  gaft 
and  hauled  (hulled?)  him  several  times.  At  three  p.m.,  he 
gave  us  his  whole  broadside  and  sheered  off.  She  is  a  brig, 
pierced  for  16  guns,  but  only  14  mounted;  she  was  full  of  men, 
she  has  two  narrow  yellow  streaks,  and  all  the  rest  black.  I 
cannot  say  too  much  for  Mr.  Jackson  (chief  mate)  for  his 
manly  support,  and  to  do  the  crew  every  justice,  they  fought 
like  Englishmen.  Having  no  shot,  I  thought  it  my  duty  to  call 
at  Madeira  for  more.  I  am  happy  to  say  that  none  of  my  people 


420  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

are  hurt,  only  sails  and  rig-ging-  suffered  materially;  the  grape 
shot  played  like  hail." 

The  Lord  Cranstoun,  Captain  Gibson,  for  St.  Croix, 
with  50  men  and  22  guns,  and  the  Lydia,  Captain  Lewis, 
for  St.  Kitts,  with  22  guns  and  45  men,  sailed  in  company 
from  Liverpool,  on  the  gth  of  November,  1808,  and  on  the 
i6th,  were  parted  in  a  heavy  gale  of  wind,  thunder  and 
lightning.  On  the  29th,  in  lat.  26.  30,  long.  31.  26.,  the 
Lydia  was  chased  by  a  large  frigate  under  Spanish  colours, 
which,  when  within  half-pistol  shot,  gave  her  a  broadside, 
which  was  returned  by  the  Lydia,  and  an  action  commenced 
which  lasted  about  25  minutes,  when  Captain  Lewis 
thought  it  prudent  to  strike,  having  i  man  killed  and  4 
wounded,  his  masts  so  crippled  that  it  was  impossible  to 
carry  sail,  and  his  rigging  and  sails  completely  cut  to  pieces. 
The  enemy  proved  to  be  the  French  frigate  L '  Amphitrite, 
of  44  guns  (28  eighteen-pounders,  12  thirty-six-pounders, 
and  4  long  nines)  and  450  men,  200  of  whom  were  soldiers 
bound  for  Martinique.  On  the  3rd  December,  in  lat. 
23-  35-  N.  long.  37.  30.  W.,  they  fell  in  with  the  Lord 
Cranstoun,  with  which  the  frigate  exchanged  two  broad- 
sides. The  Lydia  being  in  company,  and  on  his  starboard 
side,  the  frigate  on  his  larboard,  Captain  Gibson  had  the 
mortification  to  receive  two  broadsides  from  his  old  consort. 
The  Lord  Cranstoun's  masts,  sails,  and  rigging,  being 
completely  shattered,  she  was  obliged  to  yield  to  such 
superior  force.  The  Frenchmen  threw  overboard  from 
both  prizes  the  least  valuable  articles,  transferred  part  of 
the  Lydia 's  cargo  to  the  Lord  Cranstoun,  and  scuttled  the 
former.  Having  captured  an  American  brig  they  gave 
her  up  to  the  prisoners  (96  Englishmen  and  12  Portuguese) 
as  a  cartel,  with  a  small  proportion  of  provisions.  Fearing 
a  long  passage  to  a  British  port  under  such  conditions,  the 
prisoners  steered  for  the  Isle  of  Flores,  where  they  arrived 
on  the  24th  of  December.  Having  victualled  they  sailed 


WARS  OF  THE  FRENCH  REVOLUTION,  421 

for  Liverpool,  where  they  arrived  on  the  i6th  of  January, 
1809. 

In  consequence  of  the  number  of  captures  made  by  the 
enemy's  privateers  in  the  Channel,  the  Government  gave 
directions  for  the  adoption  of  a  system  of  alarm  gun  signals, 
intended  to  serve  as  an  intimation  to  the  men-of-war  that 
a  privateer  was  on  the  coast,  and  to  point  the  very  place 
where  it  might  be  found. 

The  following  account  of  a  gallant  and  successful  stand 
against  fearful  odds  is  extracted  from  a  letter  dictated  by 
Captain  Spence,  of  the  Lascelles,  at  Palermo,  2ist  of 
August,  1809,  and  received  by  the  owners  in  Liverpool  :— 

"  It  will  now  be  proper  to  inform  you,  that  after  seeing 
many  privateers  in  the  Mediterranean,  we  at  last  had  one  to 
engage,  close  under  the  island  of  Galitor.  It  was  on  the  yth 
inst.,  about  12  o'clock  at  noon,  we  perceived  a  larg-e  sail  in  the 
offing  bearing  clown  upon  us  from  W.N.W.,  apparently  an 
enemy,  but  we  still  continued  our  course.  At  two  p.m., 
coming  up  with  us  very  fast,  we  immediately  beat  to  quarters 
and  cleared  away  the  decks  for  action.  He  still  coming  up, 
with  a  long  pendant  at  his  main,  and  an  Algerine  flag  on  his 
mizen,  we  shortened  sail  ready  to  engage.  We  gave  him  a 
gun  and  hoisted  our  colours,  which  he  immediately  returned 
with  a  broadside,  his  French  colours  hoisted.  Then  we  came 
to  a  general  action  within  pistol-shot,  with  our  great  guns  and 
small  arms.  He  fought  very  hard  for  about  an  hour  and-a-half 
with  his  great  guns,  but  we  suppose  that  by  our  driving  them 
from  their  quarters,  they  betook  themselves  to  small  arms, 
which  they  continued  to  do  until  the  end  of  the  action,  having 
all  their  sweeps  out  on  both  sides,  endeavouring  to  get  away 
as  fast  as  possible,  we  still  continuing  to  keep  up  our  fire  upon 
them. 

"She  was  a  very  large  vessel  or  ship,  and  much  longer 
than  the  Lascelles,  shewed  16  ports,  and  mounted  14  guns,  and 
we  cannot  conceive  that  she  carried  less  than  150  men. 

"We  then  have  the  pleasure  to  say,  that  we  succeeded  in 


422  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

beating"  her  off  entirely  ;  and  by  a  peculiar  Providence  not  one 
soul  of  us  lost  our  lives,  but  five  of  us  were  most  shockingly 
burnt  (particularly  myself  and  one  of  the  sailors,)  who  have 
suffered  in  a  most  excruciating-  manner,  and  are  far  from  being 
recovered.  All  that  the  ship  could  afford  in  point  of  relief  was 
administered  to  the  injured  ;  and  when  arrived  here,  Mr.  Gibbs 
immediately  sent  a  surgeon  on  board  to  attend  us  all;  and  now 
we  have  great  hopes  of  our  recovery. 

"  My  running-  rigging  and  sails  are  very  much  shot  away  ; 

standing-  rig-ging  and  the  hull  of  the  ship  likewise  have  received 

many  a  shot.      In  the  course  of  a  few  days,  I  hope  to  be  so 

much  better  as  to  be  able  to  enter  into  a  protest  on  this  account, 

which  I  shall  send  you  in  my  next  in  course." 

The  foregoing  letter  was  written  by  Mr.  H.  Le  Resche, 

passenger  on  board  the  Lascelles,  and  dictated  to  him  by 

Captain  Spence,  who  was  disabled  by  the  action  he  fought 

from  writing  himself,  as  the  following  letter  from  Mr.   Le 

Resche  to  the  owners  of  the  Lascelles,  shows : — 

"DEAR  SIRS, — I  wrote  you  a  few  lines  by  a  ship  at  sea,  on 
the  1 7th  July,  viz.,  La  Rose  Duncannon,  belonging  to  Messrs. 
Rogers  &  Bownas.  Now  I  have  the  pleasure  to  drop  you  a 
few  lines  more  from  hence.  You  see  what  an  awful  encounter 
we  have  had,  and  the  effects  of  it  are  such  that  Captain 
Spence  cannot  use  his  hands,  therefore  he  has  beg-ged  of  me 
to  write  you  as  above.  It's  a  great  blessing  that  we  all  escaped 
with  our  lives.  All  the  passengers  were  equally  engaged  in 
the  action.  I  and  Mr.  Cougan  were  employed  in  working  a 
six-pounder  all  the  time. 

"  I  have  now  to  inform  you,  that  you  have  chosen  a  very 
good  Captain  ;  he  has  your  interest  very  much  at  heart ;  he 
thinks  of  nothing  else.  I  hope  you  will  keep  him  long  in  your 
employ  ;  and  that  you  will  give  him  every  encouragement,  as 
he  well  deserves  it." 

The  Alexander  Lmdo,  Captain  Pince,  on  her  passage 
from  Rio  Janeiro  to  Liverpool,  having  thrown  10  guns 
overboard  in  a  heavy  gale  of  wind,  afterwards  encountered 


WARS  OF  THE  FRENCH  REVOLUTION.          423 

a  French  privateer,  of  14  guns.  Captain  Pince  having  only 
4  guns  left,  called  his  men  together,  and  addressed  them  on 
the  danger  of  their  situation  without  their  individual 
exertion,  offering  20  guineas  to  the  first  man  who  would 
disable  the  enemy's  vessel.  The  first  gun  that  was  fired  by 
Mr.  Patterson,  the  chief  mate,  shot  away  the  privateer's  main- 
yard,  upon  which  she  hove  to  and  clued  up  her  sails.  Two 
days  later  the  Alexander  Lindo  was  attacked  by  a  French 
schooner  privateer,  full  of  men,  who  bore  down  upon  her, 
but  after  having  received  her  fire  made  sail  and  bore  away. 

On  the  22nd  of  April,  1810,  as  a  boat  from  the  ship  Earl 
of  Chester,  just  arrived  from  Madeira,  was  putting  off  with 
some  of  her  crew  for  the  shore,  it  was  pursued  by  a  boat 
belonging  to  one  of  the  King's  ships  lying  in  the  river,  for 
the  purpose  of  impressing  the  seamen.  The  man-of-war's 
men  wantonly  fired  several  shots  at  the  boat,  which  was 
running  in  the  direction  of  the  Parade  Walk,  then  crowded 
with  pedestrians.  One  of  the  shots  took  off  part  of  the 
finger  and  lodged  in  the  thigh  of  an  elderly  woman  then 
on  the  walk.  This  occurrence  increased  the  hatred  of  the 
people  towards  the  impress  service. 

In  July,  1810,  about  200  American  sailors  assembled  at 
the  Queen's  Dock,  and  having  armed  themselves  with 
staves,  proceeded  to  the  rendezvous  houses  of  the  press- 
gang,  in  Cooper's  Row  and  Strand  Street,  where  they  broke 
the  windows  and  furniture,  and  liberated  some  seamen  who 
had  been  impressed.  Two  of  the  ring-leaders  were  appre- 
hended, and  committed  for  trial  at  the  Lancaster  Assizes. 

On  the  Qth  of  November,  1810,  several  hundred  people 
on  the  heights  of  Dover,  had  the  privilege  of  seeing  a 
Liverpool  Letter  of  Marque  engaging  six  French  lugger 
privateers,  full  of  men.  The  Mary,  Captain  Barry,  was  on 
her  passage  from  Pernambuco  to  Liverpool  when  chased 
by  the  luggers,  four  of  which  were  within  half-pistol  shot 
of  her  stern,  and  the  other  two  on  her  lee  quarter,  though 


424  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

not  within  range  of  musket  shot.  Owing  to  the  fatigue  of 
the  crew,  and  the  vessel  being  under  close  reefed  fore  and 
main-top  sails  and  reefed  foresail,  caused  by  the  severe  gales 
of  wind,  they  could  make  sail  but  slowly,  and  the  privateers 
had  nearly  got  alongside  before  they  could  get  her  sails 
trimmed.  That  done,  Captain  Barry  got  the  Mary's  guns 
well  supplied  with  round  and  grape  shot,  and  by  two  well 
directed  broadsides  caused  the  two  headmost  luggers  to 
drop  astern,  until  they  were  again  supported  by  their 
consorts.  At  last,  having  drawn  close  in  to  the  land,  where 
they  saw  the  English  gun  brigs  making  sail,  the  privateers 
made  off,  but  were  so  daring  that  they  chased  the  Mary 
almost  within  gunshot  of  the  men-of-war  brigs,  the  com- 
mander of  one  of  which  complimented  Captain  Barry  on  his 
perseverance  and  consequent  escape. 

An  atrocious  and  deliberate  outrage,  far  exceeding  any 
wild,  practical  joking  ever  indulged  in  by  Joe  Daltera  and 
his  Committee  of  Taste,  was  perpetrated  in  Liverpool,  in 
November,  1810.     Half-a-dozen  fellows,  assuming  the  char- 
acter and  authority  of  a  press-gang,  seized  a  very  respectable 
gentleman  of  the  town,  who  never  was  at  sea  in  his  life,  and 
took  him  to  a  public-house,  where  they  shut  him  up  in  a 
room,   and  confined  him  as  an    impressed    man.     In    this 
miserable  apartment  he  was  forcibly  detained  two  days  and 
nights,  without  food  or  refreshment  of  any  kind,  and  was 
not  released  till  his  captors  had  extorted  from  him  a  sum 
of    money   as   the   price   of  his   liberty.      The   gentleman 
immediately  complained  to  the  Regulating  Captain  of  the 
port,  of  this  unexampled  outrage,  and  was  assured  by  that 
officer  that  every  exertion  would  be  used  to  discover  the 
authors  of  it,  but  that  the  offence  had  certainly  not  been 
committed  by  any  of  the  press-gangs  under  his  command, 
nor  had  any  such  person  been  brought  to  any  of  the  houses 
of  rendezvous  under  his  direction.     It  does  not  appear  that 
the  daring  ruffians  were  ever  brought  to  justice. 


WARS  OF  THE  FRENCH  REVOLUTION.  425 

The  ship  Brothers,  of  Liverpool,  Capt.  Geo.  Powditch, 
on  her  voyage  from  Bahia  to  London,  was  captured  on  the 
i3th  of  March,  1811,  by  the  French  privateer  Diligente,  of 
i4eighteen-pounders  and  150  men.  Monsieur  Garceau,  the 
commander  of  the  privateer,  put  on  board  15  men,  leaving 
in  the  Brothers  only  the  steward,  John  Murdock,  who 
selected  such  of  the  privateer's  people  as  he  found  inclined 
to  his  purpose,  and  recaptured  the  ship.  The  prize-master 
was  ordered  to  carry  the  Brothers  into  a  port  in  Norway, 
and  the  people  who  aided  Murdock  in  the  recapture  were 
chiefly  Norwegians,  pressed  into  the  French  service.  The 
Brothers  arrived  in  Liverpool  on  the  2Oth  of  April,  1811. 
The  threatened  disappearance  of  the  British  seaman  from 
the  mercantile  marine  of  Great  Britain  is  suggestive  of  a 
bad  time  for  our  shipowners  and  the  country  in  the  next 
naval  war. 

When  the  French  privateer  La  Cupidon  was  taken  on  the 
24th  of  March,  1811,  by  the  Amazon  frigate,  four  English- 
men were  discovered  amongst  the  crew.  They  represented 
themselves  to  be  Americans  ;  but  some  suspicions  arose, 
and  they  were  taken  into  custody  as  traitors,  and  tried  at 
the  Old  Bailey  Admiralty  Sessions,  in  February,  1812.  In 
their  defence,  the  prisoners  stated  that  they  had  suffered 
much  in  a  French  prison,  and  their  only  motive  in  getting 
on  board  the  French  privateer  was  to  seek  an  opportunity 
of  returning  to  their  native  country.  Far  from  wishing  to 
aid  the  enemy,  they  had  actually  engaged  with  other 
Englishmen  and  Americans  to  overpower  the  crew  of  the 
privateer,  and  lodge  her  in  a  British  port.  This  was 
corroborated,  but  it  unfortunately  turned  out  that  two  of  the 
prisoners  had  also  served  in  the  Napoleon  French  privateer. 
They  were  found  guilty,  and  sentenced  to  death,  the  Judge 
observing  that  the  distress  of  the  prisoners  was  no  excuse 
for  serving  the  enemy.  In  March,  1812,  two  seamen  were 
executed  for  the  same  offence — high  treason  ;  five  more, 


426  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

who  had  been  sentenced  to  death  at  the  same  time,  received 
the  royal  pardon.  Long  confinement  and  hard  usage  in 
French  prisons  undoubtedly  drove  many  British  seamen  to 
take  service  on  board  French  privateers,  while  others  entered 
the  enemy's  ranks  for  baser  reasons. 

During  this  long  struggle,  Liverpool  became  a  depot  for 
prisoners  of  war.  The  gaol  in  Great  Howard  Street,  which 
had  been  erected  in  1786,  but  not  occupied,  was  used  for 
this  purpose.  In  January,  1799,  there  were  4009  French 
prisoners  in  Liverpool,  out  of  a  total  of  30,265  in  Great 
Britain.  The  mortality  amongst  them  was  very  consider- 
able, and  the  hearse  was  constantly  in  requisition  to  convey 
from  the  gaol  the  corpse  of  some  poor  Frenchman  to  the 
portion  of  St.  John's  Churchyard  then  used  as  a  public 
cemetery.  Among  the  1 100  French  prisoners  liberated  after 
the  Peace  of  Amiens,  was  one  who  had  made  300  guineas 
during  his  confinement,  by  his  skill  and  industry  in  manu- 
facturing toys.*  With  their  usual  ingenuity,  the  French 
manufactured  a  variety  of  trinkets,  rings,  snuff  boxes,  slippers, 
crucifixes,  baskets,  little  carved  boxes,  and  toys,  which  were 
exhibited  on  a  stand  in  the  entrance  of  the  gaol,  and  sold  for 
their  benefit.  Though  ill-clad,  dispirited  and  miserable, 
they  were  not  always  sad.  Occasionally  they  performed 
plays  in  a  small  theatre  within  the  walls,  to  which  the 
public  were  admitted,  the  admission  money  raised  in  one 
night  being,  in  some  instances,  as  much  as  ^50.  Once 
an  unrehearsed  tragedy  took  place  ;  one  of  the  Frenchmen, 
while  dancing  and  singing  on  a  Sunday  evening,  in  July, 
1793,  dropped  down  and  expired  immediately.  A  prisoner 
named  Domery,  a  Pole  by  birth,  possessed  a  marvellous  and 


*  This  was  used  as  one  of  the  arguments  in  favour  of  Mr.  Gregson's  plan  for  the 
encouragement  of  mechanical  drawing  and  design  in  the  Blue  Coat  Hospital,  and  all 
the  public  schools  of  Liverpool.  Referring  to  the  advantages  to  the  hoys  from  such 
training,  the  paper  of  April  12,  1813,  says  :  "  Should  they  incline  for  sea,  and  he 
taken  into  a  French  prison,  their  ingenuity  there  may  enable  them  to  sustain  their 
confinement  with  more  comforts  than  usually  fall  to  the  lot  of  a  British  tar." 


WARS  OF  THE  FRENCH  REVOLUTION.          427 

insatiable  appetite.  In  one  day  he  consumed  14  Ibs.  of 
raw  beef,  2  Ibs.  of  candles,  and  drank  twelve  bottles  of 
porter,  and  felt  fit  for  more.  The  capacity  of  the  deposed 
King  of  Babylon  for  eating  grass  has  not  been  recorded, 
but  from  a  medical  report  published  on  Domery's  case, 
we  know  that  he  could  eat  grass  weighing  4  Ibs.  or 
5  Ibs.  at  a  time.  Cats,  dogs,  and  rats,  were  mere  tit- 
bits for  him,  and  his  sufferings  from  the  want  of  what 
is  vulgarly  called  a  really  "square  meal"  must  have 
been  terrible.  Felix  Durand,  one  of  the  Frenchmen 
confined  in  the  Tower,  in  Water  Street,  about  the 
middle  of  the  eighteenth  century,  had  some  romantic 
experiences.  He  worked  for  a  tradesman  in  Dale  Street, 
the  go-between  being  a  young  lady,  who  became  sufficiently 
interested  in  the  prisoner  to  herself  make  a  survey  of  the 
rooms  adjoining  his  place  of  confinement,  and  in  conse- 
quence of  the  information  so  gained,  Durand  and  several 
of  his  compatriots  made  their  escape.  After  wandering 
about  the  country  for  some  time,  pretending  to  be  deaf  and 
dumb,  and  surprising  the  country-people  by  the  clever 
workmanship  he  turned  out  in  return  for  their  hospitality, 
he  one  day,  being  in  hiding,  overheard  a  young  lady 
expressing  her  admiration  of  the  scenery  in  the  French 
language.  Unable  to  suppress  his  emotion,  he  rushed 
forward  and  poured  forth  his  sorrows  in  his  native  tongue, 
and,  as  he  thought,  into  a  sympathetic  ear.  Unfortunately, 
he  was  recognised  by  the  lady's  companions  and  attendants 
as  the  deaf  and  dumb  man  who  had  sought  employment  a 
a  few  days  previously.  In  spite  of  the  lady's  pleading,  a 
gentleman  of  the  party  arrested  the  poor  Frenchman,  and 
carried  him  before  a  very  gruff  old  justice  at  Ormskirk, 
who  sent  the  prisoner  back  to  Liverpool.  One  true  heart 
in  that  town  was  not  sorry  to  see  him  once  more,  and 
Monsieur  Felix  Durand,  having  discovered  that  fact,  was  in 
due  time  united  in  holy  matrimony  to  Miss  P ,  of  Dale 


42 3  777^  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

Street,  the  young  lady  who  had  facilitated  his  escape.     His 
compatriots  had  been  retaken  before  him. 

The  French  privateer  L'Amelie,  described  as  schooner- 
rigged,  with  a  yellow  streak,  and  white  bottom,  showing  no 
guns,  but  carrying  14,  and  100  men,  and  commanded  by 
Captain  Lacroix,  sailed  from  St.  Malo  for  a  cruise,  and  very 
judiciously  chose  a  station  commanding  the  entrance  into 
three  channels — St.  George's,  Bristol,  and  the  English. 
She  had  been  three  days  out,  when,  on  the  25th  of  November, 
1811,  she  encountered  the  ship  Sally,  of  Liverpool,  George 
Knubley,  master.  Captain  Knubley  took  every  precaution, 
and  made  every  disposition  which  human  foresight  could 
suggest,  for  the  preservation  of  his  vessel,  and  during  the 
action  kept  the  quarter-deck  amidst  a  shower  of  musket-balls, 
endeavouring  to  encourage  his  men  to  an  effectual  resistance. 
But,  after  a  sharp  action  of  about  twenty  minutes,  the  Sally 
was  carried  by  boarding,  and  the  crew,  with  the  exception 
of  three,  taken  on  board  the  privateer,  where,  to  the  honour 
of  the  commander  and  his  officers,  they  experienced  every 
possible  kindness  compatible  with  their  unfortunate  situation, 
being  allowed  to  preserve  the  whole  of  their  private  property, 
and  indulged  in  all  the  comforts  and  luxuries  which  the 
privateer  afforded.  During  the  action,  the  first  lieutenant  of 
the  U'Amelie  was  killed,  and  several  of  the  crew  wounded. 
The  Sally  had  five  wounded,  one  dangerously.  She  was 
ordered  for  France,  and  parted  company  with  her  captor 
next  day.  Captain  Lacroix  promised  to  Captain  Knubley 
that  he  should  have  his  liberty,  and  the  first  ship  of  little 
value  which  the  UAmelie  should  take,  upon  condition  of 
his  giving  his  parole  for  the  exchange  of  an  equal  number 
of  French  prisoners  in  England,  to  be  sent  to  France  as 
soon  as  possible  after  his  arrival  at  an  English  port.  This 
promise  Captain  Lacroix  had  an  opportunity  of  fulfilling  on 
the  28th  of  November,  when  he  captured  the  brig  Noah,  of 
Dundee,  Captain  Bowman.  After  taking  possession  of  the 


WARS  OF  THE  FRENCH  REVOLUTION.          429 

brig,  and  offering  Captain  Bowman  to  ransom  her,  which  was 
refused,  the  Frenchman  agreed  with  Captain  Knubley  about 
the  exchange  of  prisoners,  and  having  filled  up  the  necessary 
papers,  and  given  him  the  sole  command  of  the  Noah,  set 
him,  and  the  crews  and  the  passengers  of  both  vessels,  at 
liberty,  declaring  at  the  same  time,  that  if  the  exchange  of 
prisoners  was  honourably  made  on  Captain  Knubley's  part, 
he  would  set  every  Englishman,  whom  the  fortune  of  war 
should  throw  into  his  power,  free  the  first  opportunity. 

During  this  war,  commerce,  like  politics,  continued  in  a 
state  of  extraordinary  excitement,  being  too  often  a  mere 
lottery,  prices  depending  on  the  course  and  result  of  events 
which  no  sagacity  could  foresee.  A  victory  or  a  defeat 
made  one  man,  who  was  rich  in  the  morning,  poor  at  night, 
or  suddenly  raised  another  from  poverty  to  riches.  May 
Great  Britain  never  again  experience  the  horrors  of  such  a 
prolonged  struggle  ;  but  if  her  own  liberties  and  those  of 
mankind  call  for  a  similar  magnificent  effort  of  courage  and 
endurance,  may  the  sons  and  daughters  of  the  most 
powerful  empire  the  world  has  ever  seen,  do  their  duty  as 
valiantly  and  as  successfully  as  their  forefathers,  who  held 
the  bridge  of  liberty  against  the  Arch-tyrant  in  "  the  brave 
days  of  old."  Passing  over  an  innumerable  series  of  minor 
engagements,  captures  and  recaptures,  which  would  only 
weary  the  reader,  though  representing  great  bloodshed  and 
immense  gains  and  losses  to  the  combatants,  we  proceed, 
in  the  next  Chapter  to  chronicle  the  leading  incidents  and 
the  fading  glories  of  privateering  during  the  second  war — 
by  the  grace  of  the  Prince  of  Peace  may  it  be  the  last 
war — with  the  United  States  of  America. 


430 


CHAPTER  VI. 

LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS  DURING  THE  SECOND  WAR 
WITH  AMERICA. 

THE  relations  of  Great  Britain  with  the  United  States  had 
been  of  the  most  unsatisfactory  character  ever  since  the 
first  issue  of  the  Orders  in  Council,  in  1807,  which  compelled 
all  vessels  on  their  way  to  blockaded  ports  to  touch  at 
British  harbours,  and  asserted  a  right  of  seizing  British 
sailors  found  in  American  vessels.  The  United  States, 
highly  exasperated,  met  this  step  by  the  announcement  that 
all  intercourse  with  Great  Britain  and  her  dependencies 
was  at  an  end.  Although  the  embargo  was  withdrawn  in 
1809,  and  the  trade  with  this  country  for  a  time  resumed, 
the  friction  still  continued.  In  spite  of  the  remonstrances 
of  the  American  Government,  of  the  American  merchants 
of  Liverpool  and  elsewhere,  and  of  many  of  the  ablest  men 
in  this  country,  the  British  Ministry  persisted  in  enforcing 
the  orders  until  June,  1812.  President  Madison,  in  his 
address  to  the  American  people,  stated  that  upwards  of  a 
thousand  American  vessels  were  seized  under  these  orders 
on  the  high  seas,  carried  into  English  ports,  where  many 
of  them  were  condemned,  and  all  subjected  to  heavy  losses. 
At  the  beginning  of  the  year  1812,  as  the  commercial  and 
manufacturing  distresses  became  greater,  it  appeared  that  a 
perseverance  in  the  unwise  policy  would  produce  a  war 
with  America.  The  great  attainments  and  powerful 


SECOND  WAR  WITH  AMERICA.  431 

eloquence  of  Mr.  Brougham  were  for  four  years  ranged 
against  the  orders,  and  on  the  i6th  of  June,  1812,  his 
efforts  were  crowned  with  success,  Lord  Castlereagh 
announcing  to  Parliament  that  the  ministry  had  decided  to 
suspend  the  orders.  The  concession  came  too  late.  Two 
days  after  Lord  Castlereagh's  announcement  and  three 
weeks  before  the  news  could  reach  America,  President 
Madison  had  issued  a  declaration  of  war  against  Great 
Britain.  The  war  lasted  about  two  years  and-a-half,  in- 
flicting enormous  losses  on  both  belligerents,  whilst  their 
successes  were  so  nearly  balanced  that  both  nations  were 
heartily  glad  to  accept  the  mediation  of  the  Emperor  of 
Russia  to  put  an  end  to  the  unnatural  conflict.  Perhaps 
there  never  was  a  contest  where  the  amount  of  political  and 
commercial  benefit  received  on  either  side  was  so  ridicu- 
lously disproportionate  to  the  frightful  material  and  moral 
damage  inflicted  by  the  belligerents  upon  one  another. 

From  a  return  made  to  the  House  of  Lords,  it  appears 
that  from  the  ist  of  October,  1812,  to  the  ist  of  May,  1813, 
382  British  ships  were  captured  by  the  Americans,  of  which 
66  were  retaken  and  20  restored,  leaving  a  loss  of  nearly  300 
British  ships  in  seven  months — a  most  unsatisfactory  result 
of  a  naval  war  for  the  mercantile  classes.  It  is  difficult  to 
arrive  at  a  correct  estimate  of  the  losses  on  each  side.  "  In 
the  course  of  the  conflict,"  says  Baines,  "from  eight  hundred 
to  a  thousand  English  merchant  ships  were  taken  by  the 
American  privateers  and  ships  of  war,  and  at  least  an  equal 
number  of  American  merchantmen  were  taken  by  the  British 
cruizers."  The  American  privateer  commander,  Captain 
Coggleshall,  however,  puts  down  the  number  of  American 
vessels  taken  and  destroyed  by  the  British,  at  not  more  than 
five  hundred  sail.  He  points  out  that  most  of  the  American 
losses  occurred  during  the  first  six  months  of  the  war.  After 
that  period  the  United  States  had  very  few  vessels  afloat, 
except  privateers  and  Letters  of  Marque.  A  large  portion 


432  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

of  their  merchant-ships,  he  says,  returned  home  within  the 
first  two  or  three  months  after  the  commencement  of  the  war, 
and  were  laid  up  out  of  reach  of  the  enemy.  Some  of  them 
were  taken  up  the  navigable  rivers,  and  others  dismantled 
in  secure  places.  The  same  authority  claims  that  the  little 
navy  of  the  United  States,  with  the  aid  of  privateers  and 
Letters  of  Marque,  captured,  burnt,  sunk,  or  destroyed  about 
two  thousand  sail  of  British  shipping,  including  men-of- 
war  and  merchantmen.  This  statement  does  not  include 
captures  made  on  the  great  lakes,  which  would  swell  the 
number  to  a  much  larger  figure.  It  has  been  roughly  esti- 
mated that  of  these  two  thousand  vessels,  two-thirds,  or  say 
thirteen  hundred  and  thirty  sail,  were  taken  by  American 
privateers  and  private  armed  vessels,  and  the  remainder  by 
United  States  Government  ships.  The  British,  according 
to  Captain  Coggleshall,  entered  the  contest  with  a  navy  of 
1060  men-of-war,  800  of  which  were  in  commission,  and  were 
effective  cruising  vessels.  To  oppose  this  immense  force, 
the  United  States  had  but  seven  effective  frigates,  with  some 
twelve  or  fifteen  sloops  of  war.  Of  the  latter,  the  greater 
part  were  lying  in  the  dockyards  repairing. 

In  the  latter  part  of  the  war,  the  risk  of  capture  was  so 
great  that  the  freight  on  cotton,  from  Savannah  to  France, 
rose  to  lod.  a  pound.  The  insurance  on  coasting  voyages 
in  America,  rose  to  the  rates  of  from  6  to  25  per  cent.* 
according  to  circumstances.  At  the  close  of  the  contest, 
upwards  of  200,000  bales  of  cotton  (then  more  than  a  year's 
supply)  was  piled  up  in  the  warehouses  of  America,  whilst 

*  The  Liverpool  Mercury,  of  May  7th,  1813,  quoting  from  an  American  in- 
surance list,  says,  "the  following  is  a  statement  of  the  premiums  of  insurance  on  the 
coasting  trade  from  Boston,  on  the  3rd  ult. — To  Eastport,  7  to  10  per  cent. ;  other 
eastern  ports.  2  to  5  ;  to  New  York,  £6  to  £f  io/- ;  to  Philadelphia,  10  ;  to  the 
Chesapeake,  12  to  15  ;  to  North  Carolina,  17  to  1 8;  to  South  Carolina,  21  to  28  ; 
to  Savannah,  22  to  25.  With  regard  to  foreign  trade,  it  is  emphatically  stated  in 
the  insurance  list  that  there  is  none  remaining,  except  to  France,  and  the  premium 
upon  voyages  to  that  quarter  is  30  to  50  per  cent. ! "  Another  account  stated  that 
at  Halifax  insurance  had  been  absolutely  refused  on  most  vessels  ;  on  others  33  per 
cent,  had  been  added  to  the  former  premiums. 


SECOND  WAR  WITH  AMERICA.  433 

England  was  suffering  distress  for  want  of  it.  The  highest 
quotations  of  the  war,  for  cotton,  were  those  of  March  iQth, 
1814,  as  follows  : — New  Orleans,  3/-  to  3/2^  per  Ib. ;  Sea 
Island  (April  gth),  3/11  to  4/1;  Pernambuco,  2/11^103/1^; 
Surat,  1/9  to  2/-. 

American  privateers  swept  the  Atlantic,  and  even  pene- 
trated within  a  few  leagues  of  the  mouth  of  the  Mersey. 
The  merchants  and  shipowners  of  Liverpool,  instead  of 
fitting  out  private  armed  vessels  with  the  energy  which  had 
characterised  them  in  former  days,  put  their  trust  in  the 
Lords  Commissioners  of  the  Admiralty,  and  found,  too  late, 
that  the  King's  cruisers,  like  the  modern  policeman,  were  too 
often  absent  from  the  spot  where  their  services  were  most 
required.  The  depredations  of  the  American  privateers  on 
the  coasts  of  Ireland  and  Scotland  at  length  produced  so 
strong  a  sensation  at  Lloyd's,  that  it  was  difficult  to  get 
policies  underwritten,  except  at  enormous  rates  of  premiums. 
It  is  said  that  thirteen  guineas  for  ^100  was  paid  to  insure 
vessels  across  the  Irish  Channel. 

Liverpool  suffered  greatly  in  1812,  the  diminution  in  the 
number  of  ships  entering  the  port  (compared  with  1810) 
being  2130,  representing  a  fall  in  tonnage  of  287,603  tons, 
and  in  dues  of  ^"21,379. 

The  following  is  a  copy  of  a  letter  from  Captain  Affleck, 
of  the  ship  May,  to  his  owners  in  Liverpool,  dated  St. 
Lucia,  8th  of  August,  1812  : — 

"  I  am  happy  to  inform  you  of  the  arrival  of  the  ship  May 
here  on  the  5th.  Nothing  materially  occurred  on  the  voyage 
until  the  3rd  inst.,  at  2  p.m.,  when  a  vessel  was  seen  from  the 
masthead,  bearing- W.N.W.  standing  to  the  S.E.  the  wind  at 
the  time  E.N.E.  a  light  breeze,  our  course  west,  being  at  the 
time  in  the  latitude  of  this  island,  and  about  160  miles  to 
windward.  At  4  p.m.,  had  neared  this  strange  sail  so  as  to 
see  his  hull  distinctly,  and  perceived  him  to  be  a  large  schooner, 
and  apparently  a  vessel  of  war.  Ordered  all  hands  to  quarters, 

2E 


434  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

and  had  everything-  clear  for  action.  At  five,  he  tacked  to  the 
northward,  and  at  half-past  he  tacked  again,  and  came  into  our 
wake,  when  he  immediately  bore  up  after  us  under  all  sail, 
with  English  colours  hoisted,  and  hot  wishing  to  let  him  come 
too  near,  fired  the  stern  guns  at  him,  which  were  immediately 
returned  by  his  broadside  of  4  guns,  and  was  answered  by  the 
May  in  the  same  manner.  At  7  p.m.,  he  hoisted  a  light,  and 
hailed — "Where  is  that  ship  from?"  Answered,  "  Falmouth," 
and  demanded  to  know  what  schooner  that  was.  He  replied — 
"A  British  man-of-war,"  and  ordered  me  on  board  with  my 
papers  immediately.  I  told  him  if  he  attempted  to  come  a 
yard  nearer,  he  should  receive  my  broadside,  but  at  that 
distance  I  would  send  my  boat  on  board,  which  I  did,  with  my 
chief  mate  and  two  men.  His  boat  immediately  returned  with 
six  men  and  an  officer,  all  armed,  none  of  whom  were  allowed 
to  come  on  board,  except  the  latter  ;  one  who  attempted  had  a 
pistol  put  to  his  breast,  and  he  immediately  sat  down  in  the 
boat.  The  officer,  on  coming  on  board,  told  me  he  was  a 
British  privateer,  belonging  to  Bermuda,  and  insisted  on  my 
going  on  board  his  boat  with  my  papers.  I  told  him  I  was  a 
British  Letter  of  Marque,  and  would  not  quit  my  vessel,  unless 
to  go  on  board  one  belonging  to  his  Majesty,  and  ordered  him 
out  of  the  ship,  at  the  same  time,  desiring  him  to  send  my 
mate  and  people  on  board.  His  boat  soon  after  returned  with 
the  following  note:  "Captain  Taylor  presents  his  regards  to 
the  master  of  the  ship,  and  insists  on  his  coming  on  board  with 
his  papers,  otherwise  he  may  abide  by  the  consequences."  My 
answer  was  as  before,  and  sent  his  boat  off.  He  then  hailed, 
declared  he  would  sink  me,  should  I  refuse  to  comply  with  his 
request.  My  answer  was,  "  Fire  away!  "  which  was  put  into 
execution  as  soon  as  his  boat  reached  him,  by  his  broadsides, 
and  showers  of  musquetry,  and  was  as  quickly  returned  by  the 
May.  I  had  no  longer  a  doubt  of  his  being  an  American 
privateer,  and  on  the  dawn  of  day  my  suspicions  were 
confirmed  by  his  colours.  From  this  time,  half-past  7  p.m., 
till  9  a.m.,  a  fire,  with  very  little  intermission,  was  kept  up  by 
both  vessels  ;  and  it  appeared  during  this  long  action  to  be  his 


SECOND   WAR   WITH  AMERICA.  435 

intention  to  board  the  May,  which  was  always  frustrated  by 
rounds  of  grape,  until  at  last  he  was  obliged  to  haul  off  in  the 
greatest  confusion  with  his  sails,  rigging,  and  hull  dreadfully 
cut  up,  and  indeed  we  are  in  the  same  situation,  having  six  of 
our  lower  shrouds  shot  away,  forestay,  main-top  mast  back- 
stay, three  shots  between  wind  and  water,  the  main  topmast 
wounded,  and  the  sails  and  running  rigging  cut  to  pieces,  one 
man  killed,  and  two  wounded.  And  it  affords  me  the  greatest 
pleasure  to  say,  that  nothing  could  exceed  the  coolness  and 
bravery  of  the  few  people  I  had  the  honour  to  command. 

"  I  am,  Gentlemen,  your  most  obedient  servant, 

"  WILLIAM  AFFLECK. 

"  P.S.  The  above  is  a  confused  account  of  the  action  with 
the  American  privateer,  as  I  had  only  a  few  minutes'  notice  of 
this  opportunity  to  write  you  by  way  of  Martinique.  I  have, 
however,  only  to  add,  that  had  the  May  been  armed  with  any 
other  guns  than  those  on  Col.  Congreve's  plan,  she  must 
inevitably  have  been  captured,  from  the  small  crew  I  had  on 
board — one  man  having  been  killed,  and  one  wounded,  by  the 
first  discharge  from  the  privateer,  after  the  return  of  his  boat. 
The  privateer  mounted  eight  guns  and  full  of  men. 

"  Killed — Joseph  Rummona,  seaman.  Wounded,  J.  B. 
Hanna,  second  mate  ;  Wm  Walker,  apprentice  ;  both  slightly, 
and  they  are  doing  well. 

"Prisoners  on  board  the  privateer — Samuel  Hazelhurst, 
chief  mate  ;  John  Erick  and  James  Antonia,  seamen." 

*  In  this  case  we  have  the  advantage  of  presenting  the  enemy's  version  of  the 
affair.  Thejfollowing  is  an  extract  from  the  log  of  the  American  privateer  schooner 
Shadow,  of  Philadelphia,  Captain  Taylor,  which  evidently  met,  without  catching, 
a  Tartar  in  the  May  : — • 

"On  the  4th  of  August,  at  half- past  twelve  (meridian),  saw  a  sail  to  the  eastward 
standing  westward;  made  all  necessary  sail  in  chase.  At  half-past  five  p.m., 
carried  away  the  square-sail  boom  ;  cut  the  wreck  adrift ;  rigged  out  the  lower 
studding-sail  boom,  and  set  her  square-sail  again,  coming  up  with  the  chase.  At 
six  p.m.,  being  within  gunshot,  she  commenced  firing  from  her  stern  guns.  At 
seven  p.m.,  came  up  with  her,  and  commenced  an  action  ;  at  half- past  seven,  the 
ship  hoisted  a  light  in  her  mizzen  rigging,  which  was  answered  by  a  light  from  us; 
at  the  same  time  hailed  her.  She  hailed  from  Liverpool,  when  Captain  Taylor 
ordered  her  to  send  her  boat  on  board  with  her  papers,  which  she  in  part  complied 
with,  by  sending  her  boat  with  an  officer  and  two  men,  whom  we  detained,  and 
gave  directions  to  man  the  boat  with  our  crew,  board  the  ship,  and  demand  her 
papers.  These  orders  were  delivered  by  Mr.  Thomas  Yorke,  who  received  for 
answer,  that  such  a  demand  would  not  be  complied  with,  at  the  same  time  handing 


436  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

The  Shadow  arrived  at  Philadelphia,  was  refitted,  and 
soon  sailed  on  another  cruise. 

As  a  mark  of  their  sense  of  his  gallantry,  the  Under- 
writers of  Liverpool  presented  'Captain  Affleck  with  an 
elegant  silver  cup  of  the  value  of  forty  pounds,  and  at  a 
general  meeting  passed  a  resolution  allowing  him  free 
access  to  their  rooms.  Thus  did  the  merchants,  ship- 
owners, and  underwriters  of  Liverpool  at  all  times  foster  the 
spirit  of  gallantry  and  fidelity  in  the  merchant  navy  of  the 
port,  and  helped  to  render  it  formidable  in  war  and 
unrivalled  in  peace. 

On  the  i3th  of  December,  1812,  Captain  G.  Howard,  of 
the  private  ship  of  war,  John  Tobiu,  writes  from  Bahia  to  his 
owners,  Messrs.  Hughes  and  Tobins,  of  Liverpool, 
describing  an  action  between  that  ship  and  the  American 
privateer  Alfred,  as  follows  : — 

"  GENTLEMEN, — I  am  happy  to  inform  you  of  my  safe 
arrival  at  Bahia,  after  a  pleasant  passage  of  46  days.  Nothing- 
material  occurred  until  the  2ist  Nov.,  being  in  the  latitude 
8.  10.  S.,  and  longitude  33.  30.  W.,  being  a  degree  or  two  to 
the  eastward  of  Cape  St.  Augustine,  at  one  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  being  moonlight,  a  vessel  was  seen  under  a  very 
heavy  press  of  sail  in  our  wake,  coming  up  fast.  I  continued 

him  a  note  addressed  to  Captain  Taylor,  purporting  that  his  ship  was  a  British 
Letter  of  Marque,  called  the  J\Jay,  from  Liverpool,  bound  to  St.  Lucia,  commanded 
by  Captain  Affleck,  mounting  fourteen  guns  and  fifty  men.  He  also  stated  that  the 
Orders  in  Council  had  been  rescinded,  and  a  change  of  Ministry  taken  place  in 
England.  The  note  was  handed  to  Captain  Taylor.  The  boat  was  again  sent  on 
board,  with  a  note  from  our  captain,  demanding  his  papers,  which  were  refused.  At 
half-past  eight  o'clock  a  brisk  fire  commenced  on  both  sides,  during  which  time 
William  Craft,  sailmaker,  was  wounded.  At  ten  p.m.,  dropped  astern,  with  the 
intention  of  lying  by  all  night  within  gunshot ;  at  intervals  kept  up  a  brisk  fire  ; 
weather,  squally  and  dark. 

"At  daylight,  ranged  up  under  her  stern  and  commenced  a  severe  action,  when 
we  received  a  shot  in  our  starboard  bow  which  shattered  the  wooden  ends,  started 
the  plank  shear,  and  broke  several  timbers.  At  half-past  seven  a.m.,  received 
another  in  our  larboard  bow  ;  struck  the  larboard  after-gun-carriage,  killed  six  men 
and  wounded  three.  At  half-past  eight  a.m.,  our  commander  received  a  ball  in  his 
left  temple,  which  instantly  terminated  his  existence,  to  the  inexpressible  regret  of 
all  hands.  About  the  same  time  a  shot  struck  under  the  larboard  fore-chains, 
between  wind  and  water,  which  caused  the  vessel  to  leak  badly  ;  found  three  feet 
water  in  the  hold  on  sounding  the  pumps." 


SECOND  WAR  WITH  AMERICA.  437 

on  our  course  until  four  o'clock,  when  I  called  all  hands  to 
quarters,  took  in  steering-  sails,  stay  sails,  hauled  up  the 
courses,  and  prepared  for  action,  she  being-  then  on  my 
weather  quarter,  and  took  in  all  her  small  sails  and  prepared 
for  action  also.  At  five  o'clock,  I  hauled  up  for  her,  being- 
daylight,  and  hoisted  Spanish  colours,  with  a  gun.  At  a 
quarter  past  five,  she  being-  within  g-unshot,  hoisted  American 
ensign  and  pendant,  and  gave  us  a  shot.  I  thought  it  prudent 
to  keep  up  the  Spanish  colours  until  he  came  a  little  nearer, 
as  the  John  Tobin's  guns'  are  short,  and  I  did  not  wish  to  let 
him  know  we  were  English  until  my  guns  would  tell.  He 
soon  gave  us  another  shot  between  the  fore  and  main  masts. 
I  then  down  with  Spanish  colours  and  displayed  the  British, 
which  he  no  sooner  saw  than  he  began  to  fire  away  with 
round  and  grape  shot  as  fast  as  he  could  well  load  and 
discharge,  and  we  returned  it  as  quick  as  he  sent  it,  from 
a  quarter  before  six  until  a  quarter  after  nine  o'clock,  when  we 
both  desisted  in  order  to  repair  damages,  having  the  chief  part 
of  my  running  rigging  and  sails  shot  away,  also  two  guns 
disabled  during  the  action.  At  seven  o'clock,  he  shot  away 
my  ensign  halliards,  and  our  colours  came  tumbling  down.  It 
was  not  long,  however,  before  they  were  up  again,  and  a 
second  time  shot  away,  on  which,  one  of  my  people  volun- 
teered to  go  to  the  mizen  topmasthead  and  nail  them  up, 
which  was  done,  although  the  shot  was  flying  in  all  directions. 
I  then  hoisted  the  red  flag  forward,  and  gave  them  three 
cheers.  At  a  quarter  before  ten,  we  commenced  firing  again, 
and  shot  away  his  boom.  He  then  thought  it  best  to  make 
off,  and  making  all  sail,  kept  close  by  the  wind.  At  a  quarter 
after  ten,  she  tacked  and  stood  to  the  northward.  The  John 
Tobin  tacked  also  after  her,  firing  as  long  as  our  guns  would 
have  any  effect  ;  but  he  soon  got  out  of  their  reach,  owing  to 
his  superior  sailing.  At  eleven  o'clock,  I  wore  ship  and  stood 
on  my  course,  not  being  able  to  come  up  with  him. 

"Gentlemen,  I  cannot  speak  too  highly  of  Mr.  Cannon,  my 
chief  mate,  likewise  the  rest  of  my  officers  and  ship's  company, 
not  forgetting  Mr.  Toole,  passenger,  for  his  gallantry  during 


438  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVA  TEERS. 

the  whole  of  the  action.  I  am  happy  to  say  that  the  John 
Tobin  has  not  suffered  much  in  her  hull.  The  privateer  mounts 
nine  guns  on  a  side,  with  two  stern  chasers,  and  full  of  men. 
Her  guns  are  nine-pounders,  having  some  of  her  shot  on 
board,  which  we  have  taken  out  of  the  John  Tobin  s  bends. 
She  was  a  long,  low  ship,  with  a  billet  head,  yellow  sides,  and 
three  royal  yards  rigged  aloft,  exactly  the  appearance  of  a 
small  sloop  of  war.  You  will  be  astonished,  Gentlemen,  to 
hear  that  I  had  not  a  man  or  boy  hurt  on  board,  although  the 
shot  were  flying  about  us  like  hail.  Since  my  arrival  here,  I 
am  told  that  there  are  three  American  privateers  on  this  coast, 
two  of  them  brigs,  and  the  other  (the  one  we  engaged)  a  ship. 
I  shall  be  under  the  necessity  of  purchasing  some  more  powder 
before  I  sail.  I  suppose  we  shall  have  another  dust  coming 
home,  with  one  of  the  brigs  ;  as  for  the  ship,  she  will  not  come 
near  us  again." 

The  Underwriters  of  Liverpool  presented  Captain  Howard 
with  a  silver  cup  "  in  testimony  of  his  gallant  and  seaman- 
like  conduct  in  defending  his  ship  against  the  American 
privateer  Alfred,  on  the  2ist  of  November,  1812,  off  the 
coast  of  Brazil." 

The  following  details  of  an  action  between  the  Bridget, 
of  Liverpool,  Captain  Archibald  Kennan,  and  an  unknown 
armed  schooner,  which  fought  under  English  colours,  off 
Surinam  river,  were  supplied  by  a  person  on  board  the 
Bridget,  writing  from  Demerara  : — 

"  On  the  6th  December,  1812,  at  4  p.m.,  saw  a  sail  to  the 
northward,  standing  to  the  southward ;  at  5  p.  m. ,  made  it  out  to 
be  a  large  hermaphrodite  brig  or  schooner.  At  half-past  five, 
when  he  was  on  our  weather  quarter,  he  bore  up  before  the 
wind  and  stood  towards  us.  We  then  cleared  ship  for  action, 
supposing  him  to  be  an  American  privateer.  At  six,  we  took 
in  all  steering  sails,  and  hauled  to  the  northward  to  see  what 
he  was  before  dark.  On  this  he  took  in  his  steering  sails  also, 
and  came  down  with  English  colours  flying.  He  hailed  and 
asked  what  brig  it  was  ?  Captain  Kennan  asked  what 


SECOND  WAR  WITH  AMERICA.  439 

schooner?     He  answered,  H.M.  schooner ,  and  desired 

us  to  send  our  boat  on  board,  which  the  captain  refused.  He 
then  said,  if  our  captain  did  not  comply,  he  would  take  him  to 
the  gangway  and  flog"  him.  The  captain  answered,  and  said 
it  was  more  than  he  dared  to  do.  He  hailed  the  fourth  time, 
and  said  if  we  did  not  send  our  boat  on  board,  he  would  fire 
into  us.  Captain  answered,  if  he  did  we  should  return  it. 
He  instantly  fired  a  broadside  of  round  and  grape,  with 
musketry,  which  we  returned.  The  action  commenced  at  a 
quarter-past  six  p.m.,  and  lasted  until  five  minutes  past  eight. 
He  fought  under  English  colours  during  the  whole  of  the 
action.  We  had  two  men  killed  and  six  wounded.  After  the 
first  broadside,  we  ran  the  brig  on  board  of  him,  between  his 
main-mast  and  fore-mast.  He  mounted  18  guns,  and  a  very 
large  one  amidships,  which  did  us  a  great  deal  of  damage  in 
our  bows,  several  shot  going  through  our  bows,  carrying  away 
timbers  and  breast-hook,  and  going  through  our  upper-deck 
beams  and  deck,  our  jib-booms  both  carried  away  ;  masts, 
sails,  and  rigging  very  much  injured,  cut-water  shattered  to 
pieces,  and  our  figure-head  very  much  damaged.  From  the 
situation  of  the  privateer  or  pirate  in  fighting,  he  must  have 
received  considerable  damage  from  our  vessel's  bows  falling 
on  him.  When  he  got  clear  of  us,  he  stood  off  immediately, 
and  as  we  could  not  get  the  brig  to  wear,  for  the  purpose  of 
following  him  (by  reason  of  our  anchors  being  shot  from  the 
bows,  and  hanging  by  the  cables),  and  the  night  being  dark, 
we  soon  lost  sight  of  him.  During  the  action,  he  attempted 
to  set  fire  to  us  with  a  bag  of  combustibles,  with  a  view  to 
board  us  at  the  same  time,  but  he  was  received  different  to 
what  he  expected.  The  crew  are  extremely  thankful  to  the 
passengers  for  their  heroic  exertions  during  the  whole  engage- 
ment. 

1 '  LIST  OF  KILLED  AND  WOUNDED. 

"John  Burns,  seaman,  and  Alexander  M'Keller,  killed; 
James  Sanders  and  Samuel  Turner,  severely  wounded;  Daniel 
Dunn,  passenger,  had  a  musket  ball  through  his  ankle;  Daniel 
Ross,  passenger,  Thomas  Capper,  and  Captain  Kennan, 
slightly  wounded." 


440  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVA  TEERS. 

The  Underwriters  of  Liverpool  presented  Captain  Kennan 
with  a  silver  cup  in  recognition  of  his  gallantry. 

The  Underwriters  of  Liverpool  also  presented  a  silver 
cup  to  Captain  John  Irlam,  of  the'ship  Maxwell,  "  in  testi- 
mony of  his  gallant  and  seamanlike  conduct  in  defending 
his  ship  against  the  General  Armstrong- American  privateer 
of  18  eighteen-pounders,  and  i  forty-four-pounder,  and  130 
men,  on  the  2Qth  of  November,  1812,  off  Demerara,  in  which 
action  he  was  severely  wounded."  The  Committee  also 
voted  a  free  admission  to  Lloyd's  Rooms,  in  Liverpool,  to 
the  three  gallant  commanders,  Captains  Irlam,  Howard, 
and  Kennan.  The  General  Armstrong,  which  belonged 
to  New  York,  captured  one  of  the  most  valuable  prizes 
made  during  the  war — the  ship  Queen,  16  guns  and  40 
men,  from  Liverpool,  with  a  cargo  worth  from  ,£70,000  to 
£100,000  sterling.  She  was  bound  to  Surinam,  and  was 
bravely  defended,  the  captain,  his  first  officer,  and  nine  of  his 
crew  being  killed  before  she  was  surrendered.  The  prize 
was  wrecked  off  Nantucket.  The  General  Armstrong  took 
the  brig  Lucy  and  Alida,  with  a  full  cargo  of  dry  goods, 
which  was  retaken  by  the  Liverpool  Letter  of  Marque  ship 
Brenton,  and  again  recaptured  by  the  Revenge,  of  Norfolk, 
and  sent  into  that  port. 

The  brig  Henry,  6  guns,  200  tons,  from  Liverpool  for 
Buenos  Ayres,  laden  with  300  packages  of  dry  goods  and 
other  valuable  articles,  invoiced  at  £40,000  sterling,  was 
taken  and  sent  into  New  York  by  the  Governor  Tompkins 
of  that  port.  The  bounty  (or  reduction  of  duties)  allowed 
by  the  United  States  on  this  prize,  amounted  to  about  35,000 
dollars.  The  Governor  Tompkins  was  a  very  formidable 
vessel  and  made  many  prizes.  On  her  first  cruise,  she  was 
commanded  by  Joseph  Skinner,  of  New  London,  and 
subsequently  by  Captain  Shaler.  She  suffered  severely 
from  the  shot  of  a  British  frigate,  but  finally  made  her 
escape. 


SECOND  WAR  WITH  AMERICA.  441 

The  brig  Nancy,  from  Liverpool  for  Halifax,  laden 
with  dry  goods,  was  captured  by  the  Portsmouth  priva- 
teer, of  Portsmouth,  N.  H.,  divested  of  318  bales  and 
packages  of  goods  invoiced  at  .£27,000  sterling,  and 
ordered  into  port.  The  Portsmouth,  commanded  by  John 
Sinclair,  was  a  conspicuous  cruising  vessel,  and  made  a 
great  many  valuable  prizes.  The  Fox  privateer,  belonging 
to  the  same  port,  captured  and  burnt  the  schooner  Brother 
and  Sister,  and  the  brig  Dove,  from  Liverpool  ;  and  sent  to 
Norway  the  sloop  Fox  and  the  brig  Chance,  both  from 
Liverpool.  The  Stork  sloop-of-war,  and  the  Fortune  frigate, 
cruised  between  Achill  Head  and  Cape  Clear,  and  off  Tory 
Island,  in  vain  quest  of  the  Fox.  Some  of  the  Fox's  people 
had  the  audacity  to  go  ashore  at  Sligo  and  Newport,  in 
uniform,  and,  personating  British  officers,  procured  supplies 
of  fresh  provisions,  etc.,  at  both  places,  and  gave  the 
requisite  drafts  for  the  payment  of  the  amount.  The  name 
of  the  Captain  of  the  Fox  was  said  to  be  Stewart.  He  was 
formerly  master  of  one  of  the  regular  traders  between 
Londonderry  and  Liverpool.  The  Fox  mounted  20 
guns,  and  had  a  crew  of  150  picked  seamen.  The  Thomas 
privateer,  also  of  Portsmouth,  N.  H.,  captured  the  ship 
Dromo,  of  12  guns,  from  Liverpool  for  Halifax,  with  a  cargo 
invoiced  at  $70,000  sterling.  The  Macedonian,  of  Ports- 
mouth, captured  and  burnt  the  brig  Britannia,  from  St. 
John's,  N.  B.,  for  Liverpool,  laden  with  195  tons  of  ship's 
timber  and  other  articles. 

The  True  Blooded  Yankee  privateer,  of  18  guns  and  160 
men,  cruising  in  St.  George's  Channel,  captured  the 
Margaret,  of  Hull,  the  Fame,  of  Belfast,  with  linen  for 
London,  the  George,  from  Kinsale,  a  Liverpool  Letter  of 
Marque  (name  unknown),  of  14  guns,  bound  for  Spain,  and 
three  other  vessels.  The  Margaret  was  recaptured  and 
carried  into  Plymouth.  The  True  Blooded  Yankee,  wras 
formerly  the  Challenger  gun-brig,  and  her  crew  were  said  to 


442  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVA  TEERS. 

be  chiefly  British.  The  captures  were  made  between  Holy- 
head  and  the  Skerries.  Captain  Coggleshall,  himself  a 
distinguished  privateer  commander,  thus  refers  to  the 
vessel  in  his  History: — 

"  The  famous  brig  privateer  True  Blooded  Yankee,  carrying 
18  guns  and  160  men,  was  owned  by  an  American  gentleman, 
residing  in  Paris,  by  the  name  of  Preble.  She  had  an  American 
commission,  and  sailed  under  the  American  flag,  but  always 
fitted  and  sailed  out  of  French  ports,  viz.,  Brest,  1'Orient,  and 
Morlaix.  This  vessel  was  very  successful.  She  cruised  the 
greatest  part  of  the  war  in  the  British  and  Irish  Channels, 
and  made  a  large  number  of  rich  prizes.  These  she  generally 
sent  into  French  ports ;  sometimes,  however,  she  sent  a  few  to 
the  United  States.  During  one  cruise  of  thirty-seven  days, 
she  captured  twenty-seven  vessels,  and  made  two  hundred  and 
seventy  prisoners.  While  on  this  cruise  she  took  an  island  on 
the  coast  of  Ireland,  and  held  it  six  days  ;  she  also  took  a  town 
in  Scotland,  and  burned  seven  vessels  in  the  harbour.  She 
was  soon  after  fitted  out  to  make  another  cruise,  in  company 
with  the  Bunker  Hill,  of  14  eighteen- pounders  and  140  men. 
When  the  True  Blooded  Yankee  arrived  in  France,  she  was 
laden  with  the  following  spoils: — 18  bales  of  Turkey  carpets, 
43  bales  of  raw  silk,  weighing  twelve  thousand  pounds  ;  20 
boxes  of  gums,  46  packs  of  the  best  skins,  24  packets  of 
beaver  skins,  160  dozen  of  swan  skins,  190  hides,  copper,  etc." 

An  account  of  a  gallant  action  with  the  American  privateer 
Snap  Dragon,  is  given  in  the  following  extract  of  a  letter 
from  William  Hill,  master  of  the  ship  Liverpool,  to  Messrs. 
Hughes  &  Tobins,  the  owners,  dated  Demerara,  25th  of 
March,  1814:— 

"  GENTLEMEN, — On  the  3rd  inst.  the  entrance  of  Juramac 
[Saramac  ?]  River  bearing  S.S.W.  six  or  seven  miles,  whilst 
standing  in  shore,  endeavouring  to  get  to  windward,  saw 
a  schooner  on  our  larboard  bow,  standing  the  same  way 
under  her  foresail,  but  immediately  made  all  sail.  At 


SECOND  WAR  WITH  AMERICA.  443 

half-past  six  a.m.  she  bore  up  for  us;  a  quarter  before 
seven  she  fired  a  shot,  and  hoisted  American  colours. 
At  half-past  seven,  finding-  her  shot  going  over  us,  opened 
our  fire  on  him.  At  eight,  the  enemy  nearing  us,  and 
making  every  attempt  to  get  under  our  stern.  At  9  she 
opened  her  broadside,  still  keeping  up  a  hot  fire  from  his 
long  gun,  whilst  we  annoyed  him  much  from  our  quarter  guns. 
At  ten  the  enemy  hoisted  a  red  flag  at  the  fore,  gave  us  a  volley 
of  musketry,  three  cheers,  and  again  bore  up  for  us,  which  was 
returned  with  a  broadside  and  musketry.  Finding-  from  her 
superiority  in  sailing  I  could  no  longer  keep  her  on  either 
quarter,  I  bore  up  before  the  wind,  and  set  topgallant  sails,  and 
got  the  two  aftermost  guns  through  the  stern  ports.  At  n, 
he  dropped  astern,  frequently  cheering;  at  half-past  he  made 
sail.  At  12,  came  up  with  a  drum  and  fife  playing,  and  keeping 
up  a  hot  fire  of  grape  and  musketry,  but  firing  high,  which  we 
returned  with  grape  and  cannister.  A  quarter  before  one,  the 
enemy  closing  fast,  I  ordered  the  helm  a  starboard,  to  bring  the 
larboard  guns  on  him,  when  he  run  us  on  board,  her  jib-boom 
coming  through  the  bulwark  abaft  the  cross-tree,  and  broke 
short  off.  Having  fresh  way  on  the  ship  by  putting  the  helm 
a  port,  we  carried  away  his  bowsprit,  when  between  the  main 
and  mizen  rigging,  the  enemy  threw  a  number  of  men  on  board 
of  us,  and  fell  astern.  By  the  time  he  was  clear,  we  had  drove 
the  boarders  from  the  deck,  over  the  side  and  into  the  chains, 
where  a  number  of  them  were  killed  and  wounded,  falling  and 
jumping  overboard,  the  enemy  lying  across  our  stern,  still 
keeping  up  a  smart  fire.  At  one,  his  mainsail  came  down,  we 
keeping  up  a  hot  and  destructive  fire  from  the  stern  guns  right 
into  him.  At  half-past  he  hauled  off  on  the  larboard  tack,  her 
fire  slackening.  On  her  coming  to  the  wind,  the  foremast  went 
over  the  starboard  bow,  taking  with  it  the  main  topmast,  and 
the  head  of  the  mainmast.  I  never  saw  so  complete  a  wreck. 
She  then  came  to  an  anchor,  many  of  her  crew  swimming 
towards  her.  It  was  my  first  intention  to  have  renewed  the 
action,  but  on  hauling  to  the  wind  for  that  purpose,  I  found  all 
our  sails  and  running  rigging  shot  away,  and  a  strong  lee 


444  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

current  running",  I  determined  to  run  for  this  port,  which  I 
trust  will  meet  your  approbation. 

"  From  one  of  the  boarders,  wounded  on  our  quarter-deck 
(who  died  next  day  on  board  us)-,  I  gained  the  following 
account : — The  schooner  privateer  Snap  Dragon,  Captain 
Murphy,  of  112  men,  six  four-pounders,  and  one  long  twelve- 
pounder  traverse  gun,  belonging  to  South  Carolina,  out  four 
weeks,  had  taken  nothing,  and  had  been  chaced  by  a  line  of 
battle  ship  and  a  frigate. 

"  My  chief  officer,  Mr.  Williams,  and  every  one  of  my  crew, 
behaved  in  a  most  gallant  and  daring  manner,  so  much  so,  it 
is  impossible  to  say  to  whom  the  preference  is  due.  Mr. 
Williams,  just  at  the  conclusion  of  the  action,  was  wounded  by 
a  pistol  ball  in  the  left  jaw;  he,  together  with  three  seamen  also 
wounded,  are  doing  well. 

"The  boarders  took  so  precipitate  a  leave  of  us,  that  they 
left  two  pistols,  one  bayonet,  and  a  cartouch  box  on  our  quarter 
deck. 

"  Enclosed  I  transmit  you  duplicates  of  two  letters*  I  have 
received  from  Captain  Muddle,  of  his  Majesty's  ship  Columbine. 

"Gentlemen,  Your  most  obedient  servant,  WILLIAM  HILL. 

The  following  description  of  a  desperate  conflict  between 

the  Liverpool  Letter  of  Marque  ship  Fanny  and  the  American 

"  His  Majesty's  sloop  Columbine, 

Demerara,  i6th  March,  1814. 

•SiR, — I  have  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  your  letter  of  yesterday's  date, 
detailing  the  »allant  defence  of  the  ship  Liverpool,  under  your  command,  on  the 
3rd  inst.  against  the  American  privateer  Snap  Dragon,  and  send  you  herewith  a 
pendant  which  you  will  be  pleased  to  carry  on  this  coast,  during  the  time  I  may 
have  the  command,  as  a  mark  of  distinction  for  your  meritorious  conduct ;  as  also 
the  enclosed  protection  for  your  gallant  crew  from  impress  by  any  of  his  Majesty's 
vessels  under  my  orders.  I  am,  Sir,  your  most  obedient  servant, 

[Signed,]  "  R.  II.  MUDDLE,  Captain. 

"To  Mr.  Wm.  Hill,  Master  of  the  ship  Liverpool,  of  Liverpool." 

"  By  R.  Henry  Muddle,  Esq.,  Commander  of  his  Majesty's  sloop  Columbine. 

"In  consequence  of  the  very  gallant  defence  of  the  ship  Liverpool,  Mr.  W.  Hill, 
master,  against  the  American  privateer  Snap  Dragon,  on  the  3rd  of  March,  off 
Surinam  River,  I  have  thought  proper  to  permit  her  to  wear  a  pendant,  during  the 
time  of  my  command  on  this  coast,  and  to  grant  her  a  protection  for  her  crew, 
during  the  said  time. 

"The  commanders  of  his  Majesty's  vessels  under  my  command  are  hereby 
required  and  directed  to  respect  the  same. 

'•  Given  under  my  hand,  on  board  his  Majesty's  sloop  Columbine,  in  the  River 
Demerara,  i6th  March,  1814.  "  R.  HENRY  MUDDLE,  Commander." 


SECOND   WAR   WITH  AMERICA.  445 

privateer  General  Armstrong,  of  New  York,  was  addressed 
by  Captain  Laughton,  of  t\\Q  Fanny,  to  his  owners,  Messrs. 
Brotherston  and  Begg,  on  the  3Oth  of  April,  1814:— 

"  On  Monday,  the  i8th  inst,  about  meridian,  we  discovered 
a  schooner  standing1  towards  us,  supposing"  her  to  be  an  enemy, 
we  immediately  prepared  for  action,  but  it  being  wet  and 
squally,  he  did  not  think  it  right  to  engage  us  on  that  day,  but 
kept  sight  of  us  the  ensuing  night,  and  about  half-past  seven 
a.m.  bore  down  to  us  with  two  American  ensigns  flying-,  and 
when  he  had  got  about  the  distance  of  a  pistol  shot  he 
commenced  a  most  severe  and  destructive  fire,  which  the 
Fanny  with  alacrity  returned,  but  the  wind  having  fallen 
almost  to  a  calm,  the  Fanny  would  scarcely  steer,  and  the 
enemy  having  the  superiority  in  sailing,  kept  upon  our  quarters, 
notwithstanding  we  shot  away  his  main-fore  jib,  and  flying-jib 
halyards,  when  he  fell  alongside  with  only  his  topsails  set.  At 
this  time  was  a  desperate  conflict,  but  his  fire  from  a  long 
French  forty-two-pounder  proved  so  tremendous,  and  his  numer- 
ous musketry  so  galling,  that  the  great  part  of  the  men  on  the 
main  deck  could  not  be  kept  to  their  quarters,  notwithstanding- 
the  exertions  of  Mr.  Bridge,  the  chief  mate.  I  thought  it  my 
duty,  though  a  painful  one,  to  save  the  lives  of  the  brave  few 
that  remained  true,  to  haul  down  the  colours,  after  engaging- 
one  hour,  never  out  of  pistol  shot,  to  the  General  Armstrong, 
Champlin,  from  New  York,  and  I  trust  you  will  not  think  the 
Fanny  given  away.  She  had  scarcely  a  shroud  left  standing, 
nor  one  brace,  the  sails  completely  reduced,  several  gun 
carriages  disabled,  not  a  breeching  left  whole,  one  shot  between 
wind  and  water,  several  others  through  different  parts  of  her 
hull,  the  maintopsail  and  topgallant  yards  shot  through,  not  a 
running  rope  but  what  was  cut  to  pieces,  a  complete  wreck  on 
the  quarter  deck,  the  second  mate,  my  brother,  killed  by  my 
side,  and  six  others  wounded,  five  severely,  one  slightly. 
Amongst  the  former  I  am  truly  sorry  to  say  is  your  Mr. 
BegTg.  whilst  gallantly  doing-  his  duty  with  the  musketry,  but 
I  hope  his  wound  is  doing  well. 


446  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

"  The  General  Armstrong-  is  a  schooner  of  the  largest 
class,  say  from  250  to  300  tons,  armed  Avith  i  French  forty- 
two  long-pounder,  6  long-  nine-pounders  (King's),  with  G.  R. 
upon  them,  and  between  90  and  ioo  men.  She  has  been 
chased  within  the  last  month  by  three  different  men-of-war, 
but  always  escaped  by  superior  sailing,  although  at  times 
nearly  within  gunshot.  I  remain,  Gentlemen,  your  most 
obedient  servant,  JOHN  LAUGHTON." 

The  Fanny  (which  was  bound  from  Maranham  to  Liver- 
pool when  captured),  was  retaken  by  the  Sceptre,  M.  W. 

In  August,  1813,  the  American  sloop  of  war  Argus,  360 
tons,  mounting  18  twenty-four-pounder  carronades,  two 
long  twelve-pounders,  and  149  men,  commanded  by  Captain 
W.  H.  Allen,  committed  great  ravages  off  the  coast  of 
Ireland,  capturing  and  burning  many  valuable  vessels. 
One  morning,  in  sight  of  Lundy,  in  a  very  thick  fog,  she 
found  herself  in  the  midst  of  the  Leeward  Island  fleet, 
eleven  in  number,  several  of  which  she  captured.  Captain 
Allen,  while  on  board  one  of  the  prizes,  said  he  had 
destroyed  eleven  vessels  off  the  Shannon,  and  had  orders  to 
destroy  all  vessels  they  fell  in  with,  in  retaliation  for  the 
damage  done  by  the  British  navy  on  the  coasts  of  America. 
He  had  taken  a  great  many  other  vessels.  The  Argus  had 
actually  a  Pill  pilot  on  board.  She  was  captured  by 
boarding,  on  the  I2th  of  August,  1813,  after  an  action  of  43 
minutes,  by  H.M.'s  sloop  Pelican.  The  commander  of  the 
Argus  was  dreadfully  wounded  in  his  leg  and  thigh,  by  one 
of  the  raking  fires  of  the  Pelican,  which  at  the  same  time, 
carried  away  the  leg  of  a  midshipman,  wounded  the  first 
lieutenant  in  the  head,  and  killed  several  of  the  crew. 
Captain  Allen  suffered  amputation  after  the  Argus  arrived 
at  Plymouth,  and  received  the  most  "humane  and  polite 
attentions,"  but  he  appeared  to  be  aware  of  his  approaching 
dissolution,  spoke  little,  and  seemed  perfectly  resigned. 
He  was  taken  out  of  the  Argus  and  carried  to  the  hospital 


SECOND  WAR  WITH  AMERICA.  447 

at  Mill  Prison.  On  leaving  his  ship,  of  which  he  must 
have  been  proud,  the  dying  hero  looked  up  for  a  moment 
and  exclaimed,  "God  bless  you  all,  my  lads — we  shall 
never  meet  again."  His  auditors  were  so  deeply  affected 
that  not  a  man  of  them  could  articulate,  "  Farewell."  Soon 
after  he  reached  the  hospital  he  expired.  His  remains  were 
interred  at  the  Old  Church,  Plymouth,  with  the  most 
distinguished  honours.  "The  funeral  procession,  as  it 
moved  from  the  Mill  Prison,  afforded  a  scene  singularly 
impressive  to  the  prisoners,  who  beheld  with  admiration  the 
respect  paid  by  a  gallant,  conquering  enemy  to  the  fallen 
hero.  Five  hundred  British  Marines  first  marched,  in  slow 
time,  with  arms  reversed  ;  the  band  of  the  Plymouth 
Division  of  Marines  followed,  performing  the  most  solemn 
tunes.  An  officer  of  Marines,  in  military  mourning,  came 
after  these.  Two  interesting  black  boys,  the  servants  of 
the  deceased,  then  preceded  the  hearse.  One  of  these  bore 
his  master's  sword,  the  other  carried  his  hat.  Eight 
American  officers  followed  the  hearse,  and  the  procession 
was  closed  by  a  number  of  British  naval  officers.  On  the 
arrival  of  the  body  at  the  Old  Church,  it  was  met  by  the 
officiating  minister,  and  three  volleys  over  the  grave — the 
tribute  to  departed  heroism — closed  the  scene.  Captain 
Allen  was  First  Lieutenant  of  the  United  States,  in  her 
action  with  the  Macedonian,  and  was  made  captain  for  his 
bravery  in  the  action.  Captain  Decatur  was  much  attached 
to  the  deceased,  and  made  him  a  present  of  two  brass  guns 
from  the  Macedonian,  which  are  now  on  board  the  Argus. 
He  was  highly  esteemed  in  his  profession,  and  was  an 
officer  of  the  most  determined  courage."*  Such  was  the 

*The  Waterford  Mirror  brought  a  charge  of  "  barbarity"  against  Captain 
Allen,  on  the  testimony  of  a  cattle  dealer,  passenger  in  the  Diana  and  Betsy,  one 
of  the  captured  vessels  who  stated  that  there  were  30  head  of  cattle  on  board,  of 
which  the  enemy  killed  three  for  the  use  of  his  crew,  and  burned  the  rest  with  the 
vessel.  Other  papers  bear  testimony  to  the  excellent  conduct  of  Capt.  Allen,  and 
his  courtesy  and  humanity  towards  the  passengers  and  crews  who  fell  into  his 
hands. 


448  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

tribute  paid  by  the  valour  of  old  England  to  the  gallantry  of 
young  America. 

The  celebrated  American  privateer  brig  Yankee,  owned 
by  Mr.  James  De  Wolf,  of  Bristol,  Rhode  Island,  was  a 
most  fortunate  cruiser,  and  made  a  great  many  captures. 
She  took  the  Royal  Bounty,  a  British  Letter  of  Marque 
ship,  after  a  severe  engagement,  and  ran  all  the  war 
without  being  captured.  In  several  of  her  first  cruises,  she 
was  commanded  by  Captain  Wilson,  and  subsequently  by 
Captain  Smith.  The  Yankee  arrived  at  Newport,  R.I. 
after  a  cruise  of  about  150  days,  during  which  she  had 
scoured  the  whole  western  coast  of  Africa,  taken  eight  prizes, 
62  guns,  196  men,  496  muskets,  and  property  worth  296,000 
dollars.  She  had  on  board  32  bales  of  fine  goods,  6  tons  of 
ivory,  and  40,000  dollars'  worth  of  gold  dust.  She  looked 
in  at  every  port,  river,  town,  factory,  harbour,  etc.,  on  the 
coast.  Among  her  prizes  were  the  following:  — 

Brig-  Thames,  Captain   Toole,  of  Liverpool,  8  guns  and   14 
men;  with  ivory,  dry  goods  and  camwood ;  worth  40,000  dollars. 
Brig    Shannon,     Captain    Kendall,     from    Maranham    for 
Liverpool,  10  guns,  and  15  men  ;  worth  50,000  dollars. 

Portuguese  ship  St  Jose,  from  Liverpool  for  Rio  Janeiro, 
with  dry  goods,  hardware,  etc.,  valued  at  about  600,000  dollars, 
said  to  be  British  property,  and  sent  into  Portland,  U.S. 

The  Eliza  Ann,  from  Liverpool  to  Baltimore,  sent  into 
Boston. 

The  schooner  Aider,  Captain  Crowley,  of  Liverpool,  6  guns 
(nine-pounders)  and  21  men  ;  laden  with  400  casks  muskets, 
flints,  bar  lead,  iron,  dry  goods,  etc.  ;  vessel  and  cargo  worth 
24,000  dollars.  In  the  engagement  an  explosion  occurred, 
which  blew  up  her  quarter  deck,  and  killed  her  captain  and 
five  of  her  men. 

The  Yankee  also  captured  the  Despatch,  from  Liverpool  for 
Quebec,  with  a  cargo  invoiced  at  ^80,000  sterling,  and  six 
other  vessels,  including  the  Ann,  of  Liverpool,  which  was 
afterwards  retaken.  The  Yankee  would  have  taken  several 


SECOND   WAR   WITH  AMERICA.  449 

other  prizes  but  for  the  injury  she  received  in  capturing  the 
barque  Paris,  of  Liverpool,  Captain  Harrison,  who  with  only 
6  guns  and  n  men  fought  the  Yankee,  which  carried  18 
twelve  and  nine-pounders,  one  bow  gun,  and  75  men,  for  45 
minutes,  receiving  great  injury  herself,  and  inflicting  damage 
on  the  Yankee,  which  compelled  her  to  put  into  port  to  refit. 

The  Alexander,  Captain  Newby,  from  St.  Thomas's  to 
Liverpool,  was  captured  on  the  2nd  of  August,  1814,  in  lat. 
47.  13  N.,  long.  32.  W.,  by  the  Mammoth  American 
schooner  privateer,  of  Baltimore,  Captain  Franklin,  of  14 
guns  and  140  men.  The  Mammoth  had  been  out  seven 
weeks,  and  had  made  16  captures  !  Captain  Newby  was 
seventeen  days  on  board  the  privateer,  cruising  between  the 
latitude  of  his  capture  and  Cape  Clear,  and  during  the  whole 
of  that  period  did  not  see  a  single  British  ship  of  war.  A 
meeting  of  the  Committee  of  the  Underwriters'  Association 
of  Liverpool  was  held  on  the  22nd  of  August,  for  the 
purpose  of  making  some  communication  to  the  Admiralty 
respecting  the  numerous  captures  made  by  the  Americans, 
when  it  was  resolved,  "as  the  most  delicate  and  proper 
mode  of  proceeding,"  that  a  list  of  the  captures  made  by  the 
Mammoth  be  transmitted  to  J.  W.  Croker,  Esq.,  for  the 
information  of  the  Lords  Commissioners  of  the  Admiralty. 
In  a  four  months'  cruise,  the  Mammoth  took  21  prizes,  18  of 
which  she  destroyed,  or  gave  up  as  cartels.  Her  cruising 
ground  was  principally  on  the  coasts  of  Great  Britain,  and 
in  the  Bay  of  Biscay. 

On  the  29th  of  August,  1814,  a  meeting  of  merchants, 
shipowners,  underwriters,  etc.,  was  held  in  the  Liverpool 
Town  Hall,  to  take  into  consideration  a  memorial  to  the 
Government  on  the  subject  of  the  numerous  captures  made 
by  American  cruisers.  Mr.  John  Gladstone  proposed  an 
address  to  the  Lords  of  the  Admiralty,  but  this  was  opposed 
on  the  ground  that  representations  had  been  made  to  that 
department  without  redress.  Mr.  Clare  proposed  an  address 

2F 


450  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS, 

to  the  Prince  Regent,  which,  after  warm  opposition  on  the 
part  of  Mr.  Gladstone,  was  carried,  and  the  petition  des- 
patched on  the  3Oth.  The  address  conveyed  a  censure  upon 
the  Admiralty.  At  another  meeting,  held  on  the  3Oth,  a 
counter  address  to  the  Admiralty  was  voted,  very  numer- 
ously signed,  and  sent  off  on  September  ist.  In  this 
memorial,  complaining  of  a  want  of  sufficient  naval 
protection  against  American  captures,  the  memorialists 
spoke  of  privateers  destroying  vessels  as  a  novel  and  extra- 
ordinary practice,  which  they  were  informed  was  promoted 
by  pecuniary  rewards  from  the  American  Government,  and 
they  wished  measures  adopted  to  prevent  as  much  as  possible 
the  ruinous  effects  of  this  new  system  of  warfare.  Mr. 
Croker  replied  on  behalf  of  the  Admiralty,  that  an  ample 
force  had  been  under  the  orders  of  the  Admirals  commanding 
the  western  stations  ;  and  that  during  the  time  when  the 
enemy's  depredations  were  stated  to  have  taken  place,  not 
fewer  than  three  frigates  and  fourteen  sloops  were  actually 
at  sea  for  the  immediate  protection  of  St.  George's  Channel 
and  the  western  and  northern  parts  of  the  United  Kingdom. 
In  that  case  the  vessels  must  have  been  totally  unfit  for 
the  service  required  of  them,  for  we  cannot  believe  that  the 
officers  and  men  of  the  British  navy  shirked  their  duty. 

Perhaps  nothing  will  better  illustrate  the  state  of  public 
feeling  on  this  question,  than  the  following  resolutions  of 
the  merchants,  manufacturers,  shipowners,  and  underwriters 
of  Glasgow,  passed  in  public  meeting,  the  Lord  Provost 
in  the  chair,  on  the  yth  of  September,  1814  : — 

"  That  the  number  of  American  privateers  with  which  our 
Channels  have  been  infested,  the  audacity  with  which  they 
have  approached  our  coasts,  and  the  success  with  which  their 
enterprise  has  been  attended,  have  proved  injurious  to  our 
commerce,  humbling"  to  our  pride,  and  discreditable  to  the 
directors  of  the  naval  power  of  the  British  nation,  whose  flag, 
till  of  late,  waved  over  every  sea,  and  triumphed  over  every 


SECOND  WAR   WITH  AMERICA.  451 

rival.  That  there  is  reason  to  believe,  that  in  the  short  space 
of  less  than  twenty-four  months,  above  eight  hundred  vessels 
have  been  captured  by  that  power,  whose  maritime  strength  we 
have  hitherto  impolitically  held  in  contempt.  That  at  a  time 
when  we  were  at  peace  with  all  the  rest  of  the  world,  when 
the  maintenance  of  our  marine  costs  so  large  a  sum  to  the 
country,  when  the  mercantile  and  shipping  interests  pay  a  tax 
for  protection,  under  the  form  of  convoy  duty,  and  when,  in 
the  plenitude  of  our  power  we  have  declared  the  whole  Ameri- 
can coast  under  blockade,  it  is  equally  distressing  and  morti- 
fying that  our  ships  cannot,  with  safety,  traverse  our  own 
Channels  ;  that  insurance  cannot  be  effected  but  at  an  exces- 
sive premium  ;  and  that  a  horde  of  American  cruisers  should 
be  allowed,  unheeded,  unresisted,  and  unmolested,  to  take, 
burn,  or  sink,  our  own  vessels,  in  our  own  inlets,  and  almost 
in  sight  of  our  own  harbours. 

"That  the  ports  of  the  Clyde  have  sustained  severe  loss  from 
the  depredations  already  committed,  and  there  is  reason  to 
apprehend  still  more  serious  suffering,  not  only  from  the 
extent  of  the  coasting  trade  and  the  number  of  vessels  yet  to 
arrive  from  abroad,  but  as  the  time  is  fast  approaching  when 
the  outward  bound  ships  must  proceed  to  Cork  for  convoys, 
and  when,  during  the  winter  season,  the  opportunities  of  the 
enemy  will  be  increased  both  to  capture  with  ease  and  escape 
with  impunity. 

"  That  the  system  of  burning  and  destroying  every  article 
which  there  is  fear  of  losing — a  system  pursued  by  all  the 
cruisers,  and  encouraged  by  their  own  government — diminishes 
the  chances  of  recapture,  and  renders  the  necessity  of 
prevention  more  urgent. 

"  That  from  the  coldness  and  neglect  with  which  previous 
remonstrances  from  other  quarters  have  been  received  by  the 
Admiralty,  this  meeting  reluctantly  feels  it  an  imperious  duty 
at  once  to  address  the  Throne,  and  that  therefore  a  petition  be 
forwarded  to  his  Royal  Highness,  the  Prince  Regent,  acting 
in  the  name  and  on  behalf  of  his  Majesty,  representing  the 
above  grievances,  and  humbly  praying  that  his  Royal 


452  777£  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

Highness  will  be  graciously  pleased  to  direct  such  measures 
to  be  adopted,  as  shall  promptly  and  effectually  protect  the 
trade,  on  the  coast  of  this  Kingdom,  from  the  numerous 
insulting  and  destructive  depredations  of  the  enemy." 

One  of  the  lieutenants  of  H.M.S.  Leander,  writing  from 
Fayal,  on  the  I4th  of  January,  1815,  gives  the  following 
curious  account  of  an  adventure  which  befell  an  American 
prize-master,  in  charge  of  a  captured  Liverpool  brig  : — 

"  In  search  of  the  American  squadron,  we  saw  a  large  brig 
the  other  day,  which  the  captain  ordered  us  to  draw  to,  but 
under  a  moderate  sail,  so  as  not  to  show  any  particular  anxiety, 
suspecting  from  circumstances  she  was  a  British  vessel  cap- 
tured, and  being  desirous,  if  she  should  prove  so,  of  getting 
hold  of  the  American  prize-master,  and  by  imposing  this  ship 
upon  him  as  an  American  frigate,  obtaining  information  which 
otherwise  we  might  not  get.  Nothing  could  have  happened 
better.  This  brig  proved  to  be  the  John,  of  Liverpool,  lately 
captured  by  the  Perry  privateer;  and  the  American  prize-master, 
a  high-blooded  Yankee,  hoisted  out  his  boat,  and  without  any 
hesitation  came  on  board  the  Leander.  The  moment  he  got  upon 
deck,  he  congratulated  the  officers  on  the  squadron  being  at 
sea,  and  in  a  situation  where  they  would,  as  he  expressed  it, 
do  a  tarnation  share  of  mischief  to  the  damned  English  sarpents, 
and  play  the  devil's  game  with  their  rag  of  a  flag.  He  then 
observed  that  he  knew  this  ship  the  moment  he  saw  her,  by  her 
black-painted  masts  and  sides,  and  the  cut  of  her  sails,  to  be 
the  President,  as  he  was  in  New  York  just  before  she  sailed. 
After  these  observations,  in  which  the  Yankee  professed  to  be 
very  well  informed,  he  walked  up  to  Sir  George  Collier;*  and 
to  the  extreme  amusement  of  us  all,  making  his  bow,  addressed 
him  as  the  American  Com.  Decatur,  reminding  him  at  the  same 
time  of  having  once  seen  him  at  New  York.  Sir  George 
agreed  to  all  this ;  when  the  Yankee  presented  the  John's 
papers,  to  shew  what  she  was,  and  complained  of  his 

*  Those  who  are  familiar  with  the  portraits  of  Sir  George  ColHer,  will  readily 
believe  that  the  scene  must  have  been  a  fine  comedy,  highly  enjoyed  by  the  British 
commander. 


SECOND  WAR  WITH  AMERICA.  453 

crew,  which  he  said  were  a  set  of  such  vile,  mutinous 
sarpents,  that  his  life  was  in  his  hand  every  night,  and 
requested,  therefore,  some  of  them  might  be  changed  for 
so  many  of  the  supposed  President's  crew,  and  that  one,  in 
particular,  might  have  a  second  flogging.  All  this  Sir  George 
promised,  with  great  gravity,  should  be  done,  and  ordered  the 
First  Lieutenant  to  have  as  many  men  ready  in  exchange  for 
those  complained  of.  The  captain  then  asked  Jonathan  into 
his  cabin,  and  retiring  for  a  moment  for  a  chart,  returned  with 
one  in  which  the  Leander's  track  was  marked,  over  which 
was  written  "President,  from  New  York,  on  a  cruise,"  and 
placing  his  finger  upon  these  words,  as  if  by  accident,  they 
immediately  caught  the  eye  of  the  Yankee,  who  exclaimed, 
that  he  knew  the  President  the  moment  he  saw  her,  and  Nick 
himself  could  not  deceive  him.  He  was  then  asked  by  Sir 
George,  pointing  to  the  Acasta,  if  he  knew  her.  His  reply  was, 
that  she  was  the  Macedonian;  and  when  asked  what  the  New- 
castle was,  he  said  he  did  not  know  her ;  on  which  Sir  George 
told  him  she  was  the  Constitution.  He  replied,  he  recollected 
she  was,  though  not  painted  as  she  used  to  be.  He  then  asked 
the  Perry's  cruizing  ground,  and  he  said  he  had  spoken  the 
Whig  privateer,  who  told  him  he  would  probably  soon  fall  in 
with  Commodore  Decatur's  squadron,  which  rejoiced  his  heart, 
as  he  knew  he  should  then  get  rid  of  some  of  his  mutinous 
crew.  After  he  had  no  more  to  tell,  Sir  George  recommended 
his  returning  to  the  John,  and  in  great  form  returned  him  the 
ship's  papers,  wishing  him  a  good  voyage,  and  desiring  he 
would  not  forget  to  let  it  be  known  he  left  Commodore  Decatur 
and  his  squadron  well.  Jonathan  took  his  leave  with  great 
apparent  satisfaction,  but  when  about  to  quit  the  Leander,  our 
First  Lieutenant  M'Dougall  stopped  him,  and  apprized  him  of 
his  real  situation.  For  a  long  time  he  considered  this  a  joke, 
but  casting  an  eye  upon  the  English  Captain's  uniform,  in 
which  Sir  George  Collier  then  appeared,  he  became  almost 
frantic  with  disappointment." 

Early  in  the  spring  of  1814,  the  peace,  for  which  the  people 
were  wearying,  at  length  arrived,  and  was  thus  announced 


454  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

in  Liverpool:  "Downfall  of  the  tyrant!  Peace!  heavenly 
peace!  the  desire  of  all  nations  dawns  on  the  world!! 
The  Almighty's  name  be  praised!"  In  May,  the  long- 
suspended  commerce  with  France  was  renewed,  by  the  im- 
portation of  two  cargoes  of  grain  into  Liverpool  from  Havre. 
Negotiations  for  the  arrangement  of  the  differences  with  the 
United  States  were  opened  at  Ghent,  in  the  following  June, 
and,  after  a  long  delay,  which  cost  many  thousands  of  lives, 
were  brought  to  a  close  on  December  24th.  The  arrival  of 
the  first  American  ship  in  Liverpool  after  the  peace,  was 
thus  announced  in  the  paper  of  the  3rd  of  April,  1815  : — 

"  Several  hundred  vessels  left  this  port  on  Friday  and  the 
day  before,  which  had  been  detained  many  weeks  by  adverse 
winds.  The  river  afforded  a  most  brilliant  and  interesting- 
spectacle.  A  still  more  pleasing1  and  interesting  sight  was 
witnessed  on  Thursday,  about  one  o'clock,  in  the  arrival  of  the 
ship  Milo,  the  first  belonging-  to  the  United  States  which  has 
arrived  since  the  restoration  of  peace.  The  day  was  remark- 
ably bright,  and  she  came  up  the  river  in  very  fine  style,  with 
the  British  flag  flying  at  the  mainmast  head,  the  American 
colours  at  the  mizenmast,  which  were  lowered  on  passing 
H.M.S.  Argo,  lying  in  the  river,  and  a  beautiful  signal-flag  at 
her  foremast.  This  first  effect  of  the  restoration  of  amity 
between  two  countries,  designed  by  nature,  habits,  and  mutual 
interests,  to  maintain  uninterruptedly  the  relations  of  peace, 
was  hailed  with  delight  by  a  great  number  of  spectators,  who 
covered  the  piers  and  the  shore.  The  Milo  left  Boston  on  the 
1 2th  ult.,  in  company  with  the  Liverpool  packet,  daily  ex- 
pected. The  Milo  arrived  in  ballast." 

The  arrival  of  the  first  British  vessel  at  New  York,  on 
the  5th  of  May,  1815,  was  thus  announced  in  one  of  the 
papers  of  that  city: — "  The  regular  British  packet,  after  an 
absence  of  nearly  three  years,  at  length  re-appears  in  our 
harbour,  in  token  of  returning  amity.  We  hail  with 
sensations  of  gladness  the  joyful  omen,  and  may  no 


455 

inauspicious  event  ever  occur  again  to  banish  her  from  our 
waters  ! " 

This  was  the  last  war  in  which  Letters  of  Marque  and 
Reprisals  were  granted  by  the  British  Government. 
Without  discussing  the  wisdom  or  otherwise  of  the 
Declaration  of  Paris,  or  attempting  to  prophecy  its  effect  on 
British  commerce  in  the  event  of  a  great  naval  war,  we 
shall  close  this  section,  with  a  plain  statement  of  the  present 
attitude  of  the  British  and  American  governments,  towards 
privateering. 

On  the  30th  of  March,  1856,  on  the  conclusion  of  the  war 
with  Russia,  there  was  signed  the  so-called  Treaty  of  Paris. 
Subsequently  the  plenipotentiaries,  who  signed  that  treaty 
sat  in  conference,  and  on  the  preamble  that  "maritime  law 
in  time  of  war,  had  long  been  the  subject  of  deplorable 
disputes,"  they  adopted  a  solemn  Declaration,  which  has 
since  been  known  as  the  "  Declaration  of  Paris,"  and  which 
was  appended  to  the  treaty,  on  April  i6th. 

The  Declaration  ran  as  follows:— 

"  i.   Privateering  is,  and  remains  abolished. 

"  2.  The  neutral  flag  covers  enemy's  goods,  with  the 
exception  of  contraband  of  war. 

"  3.  Neutral  goods,  except  contraband  of  war,  are  not 
liable  to  capture  under  the  enemy's  flag. 

"4.  Blockades,  in  order  to  be  binding,  must  be  effective, 
that  is  to  say,  maintained  by  a  force  sufficient  in  reality  to 
prevent  access  to  the  coasts  of  the  enemy. 

''The  Declaration  not  to  be  binding  except  between  the 
Powers  acceding  to  it." 

By  this  Declaration,  Great  Britain  and  the  other  states 
who  signed  it  were,  of  course,  bound  ;  and  all  civilised 
nations  have  since  acceded  to  it,  except  the  United  States, 
Mexico,  and  Spain.  Accordingly  the  United  States,  in  the 
deplorable  event  of  a  war  with  Great  Britain,  would  be 
justified  in  using  privateers,  and  Great  Britain,  though  a 


456  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

signatory  of  the  above  Declaration,  would  also  be  justified 
in  using  them  in  a  war  against  a  state,  which  is  not  bound 
by  it. 

At  first  sight  it  seems  extraordinary  that  so  enlightened 
a  country  as  the  United  States  should  be  found  associated 
with  Spain  and  Mexico  in  upholding  privateering.  This 
has  not  always  been  the  attitude  of  American  opinion  and 
practice  on  this  question,  for,  we  find  that  more  than  a 
century  ago,  in  1785,  it  was  stipulated  by  a  treaty,  negotiated 
by  Franklin,  between  the  United  States  and  Prussia,  that  in 
case  of  war,  neither  Power  should  commission  privateers  to 
depredate  upon  the  commerce  of  the  other.  And  here  it  is 
worth  while  quoting  Franklin's  opinion  of  privateering,  as 
expressed  in  his  printed  works  : — * 

"It  is  for  the  interest  of  humanity  in  general,"  says  the 
venerable  statesman  and  philosopher,  "that  the  occasions  of 
war  and  the  inducements  to  it  should  be  diminished.  The 
practice  of  robbing  merchants  on  the  high  seas,  a  remnant  of 
the  ancient  piracy,  though  it  may  be  accidentally  beneficial  to 
particular  persons,  is  far  from  being  profitable  to  all  engaged 
in  it,  or  to  the  nation  that  authorizes  it.  Ptraterte,  as  the 
French  call  it,  or  privateering,  is  the  universal  bent  of  the 
English  nation,  at  home  and  abroad,  wherever  settled.  No 
less  than  seven  hundred  were,  it  is  said,  commissioned  in  the 
last  (the  American)  war.  These  were  fitted  out  by  merchants, 
to  prey  upon  other  merchants  who  had  never  done  them  any 
injury.  Methinks  it  well  behoves  merchants  to  consider  well 
of  the  justice  of  a  war,  before  they  voluntarily  engage  a  gang 
of  ruffians  to  attack  their  fellow  merchants  of  a  neighbouring 
nation,  to  plunder  them  of  their  property,  and  perhaps  ruin 
them  and  their  families  if  they  yield  to  it;  or  to  wound,  maim, 
and  murder  them,  if  they  endeavour  to  defend  it.  Yet  these 
things  are  done  by  Christian  merchants,  whether  a  war  be 
just  or  unjust;  and  it  can  hardly  be  just  on  both  sides.  They  are 
done  by  English  and  American  merchants  who,  nevertheless, 

*  Franklin's  Works,  I2mo,  1798.     II.,  152-178. 


SECOND  WAR  WITH  AMERICA.  457 

complain  of  private  theft,  and  hang  by  dozens  the  thieves 
they  have  taught  by  their  own  example.  It  is  high  time,  for 
the  sake  of  humanity,  to  put  a  stop  to  this  enormity.  The 
United  States  of  America,  though  better  situated  than  any 
European  nation  to  make  profit  by  privateering  (most  of  the 
trade  of  Europe  with  the  West  Indies  passing  before  their 
doors)  are,  as  far  as  in  them  lies,  endeavouring  to  abolish  the 
practice,  by  offering  in  all  their  treaties  with  other  powers,  an 
article,  engaging  solemnly,  that  in  case  of  future  war,  no 
privateer  shall  be  commissioned  on  either  side  ;  and  that 
unarmed  merchant  ships,  on  both  sides,  shall  pursue  their 
voyages  unmolested.  This  will  be  a  happy  improvement  of 
the  law  of  nations.  The  humane  and  just  cannot  but  wish 
general  success  to  the  proposition." 

The  United  States  may  possibly  say  that  the  reason  why 
they  have  not  repeated  and  endorsed  that  stipulation  in 
subsequent  treaties,  is  all  the  fault  of  Great  Britain.  Great 
Britain  has  always  maintained  her  right  to  destroy  an 
enemy's  private  property  at  sea  (not  now  by  privateers,  but 
by  public  war  vessels).  Constant  representations  have  been 
made  to  us  by  other  Powers,  including  the  United  States, 
asking  us  to  abandon  this  right.  But,  as  the  greatest 
maritime  Power,  we  have  stood  out  for  the  right  of 
destroying  hostile  private  property  at  sea,  as  a  method  of 
warfare  most  effective  and  substantial,  without  inflicting  a 
disproportionate  amount  of  suffering  upon  individuals. 
Whether  we  are  really  the  gainers  in  the  end,  by  clinging  to 
this  principle,  is  another  question.  No  doubt  it  gives  a 
great  advantage  to  the  Power  with  the  strongest  fleet ;  but 
when  that  Power  has  also  far  the  largest  amount  of  private 
property  at  sea,  it  is  clear  that  the  compensating  dis- 
advantage is  considerable.  The  protection  of  our  own 
merchandise  and  the  complete  destruction  of  the  enemy's 
will  prove  an  exceedingly  heavy  task  for  our  navy.  But 
this  is  beside  the  point,  for  Great  Britain  rightly  upholds 
the  principle  and  must  fight  accordingly.  What  then  was 


458  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

the  actual  position  of  the  United  States  as  to  the  Declaration 
of  Paris?  They  said  :  "If  England  will  not  abandon  the 
right  to  capture  private  property  at  sea,  then  we  will  not 
abandon  the  right  to  use  privateers.  We  do  not  choose  to 
be  at  the  cost  to  maintain  a  large  fleet,  and  must  rely  on 
privateers  in  case  of  war.  We  realise  the  abuses  of 
privateering,  but  we  are  bound  to  perpetuate  them  because 
Great  Britain  will  not  give  way  on  the  first  point."  But  it 
is  obvious  that  there  is  no  necessary  connection  between 
privateering  and  the  right  of  capture  by  national  vessels. 
It  would  appear  that  in  the  matter  of  privateering,  the 
United  States  to-day  are  guided,  not  by  the  example  and 
opinions  of  Benjamin  Franklin,  but  by  the  vigorous  senti- 
ments of  Jefferson,  promulgated  on  the  4th  of  July,  1812  :— 

"What  is  war?  It  is  simply  a  contest  between  nations,  of 
trying"  which  can  do  the  other  the  most  harm.  Who  carries 
on  the  war  ?  Armies  are  formed  and  navies  are  manned  by 
individuals.  How  is  a  battle  gained  ?  By  the  death  of 
individuals.  What  produces  peace  ?  The  distress  of  individ- 
uals. What  difference  to  the  sufferer  is  it  that  his  property  is 
taken  by  a  national  or  private  armed  vessel  ?  Did  our 
merchants  who  have  lost  nine  hundred  and  seventeen  vessels 
by  British  captures,  feel  any  gratification  that  the  most  of  them 
were  taken  by  his  Majesty's  men-of-war  ?  Were  the  spoils 
less  rigidly  exacted  by  a  seventy-four  gun  ship,  than  by  a 
privateer  of  four  guns  ;  and  were  not  all  equally  condemned  ? 
War,  whether  on  land  or  sea,  is  constituted  of  acts  of  violence 
on  the  persons  and  property  of  individuals  ;  and  excess  of 
violence  is  the  grand  cause  that  brings  about  a  peace.  One 
man  fights  for  wages  paid  him  by  the  government,  or  a 
patriotic  zeal  for  the  defence  of  his  country  ;  another,  duly 
authorised,  and  giving  the  proper  pledges  for  his  good 
conduct,  undertakes  to  pay  himself  at  the  expense  of  the  foe, 
and  serve  his  country  as  effectually  as  the  former,  and 
government  drawing  all  its  supplies  from  the  people,  is,  in 
reality,  as  much  affected  by  the  losses  of  one  as  the  other,  the 


SECOND  WAR  WITH  AMERICA.  459 

efficacy  of  its  measures  depending-  upon  the  energies  and 
resources  of  the  whole.  In  the  United  States,  every  possible 
encouragement  should  be  given  to  privateering-  in  time  of  war 
with  a  commercial  nation.  We  have  tens  of  thousands  of 
seamen  that  without  it  would  be  destitute  of  the  means  of 
support,  and  useless  to  their  country.  Our  national  ships  are 
too  few  in  number  to  give  employment  to  a  twentieth  part  of 
them,  or  retaliate  the  acts  of  the  enemy.  But  by  licensing 
private  armed  vessels,  the  whole  naval  force  of  the  nation  is 
truly  brought  to  bear  on  the  foe,  and  while  the  contest  lasts, 
that  it  may  have  the  speedier  termination,  let  every  individual 
contribute  his  mite,  in  the  best  way  he  can,  to  distress  and 
harass  the  enemy,  and  compel  him  to  peace." 

In  the  American  Civil  War,  Congress  authorised  the 
President  to  issue  Letters  of  Marque,  but  he  did  not  avail 
himself  of  this  power.  The  Confederates  went  so  far  as  to 
offer  their  Letters  of  Marque  to  foreigners,  but  the 
acceptance  of  them  would,  of  course,  have  been  a  gross 
infringement  of  the  restriction  of  neutrality,  and  the 
Northern  States  threatened  to  treat  foreign  privateers  as 
pirates. 

It  must  be  admitted  that  the  contention  of  the  United 
States  Government  that  in  the  event  of  their  engaging  in 
hostilities  with  a  country  having  a  powerful  navy,  their 
adhesion  to  the  Declaration  of  Paris  would  place  them  at  a 
great  disadvantage,  is  as  true  to-day  as  it  was  in  1856.  In 
comparison  with  the  royal  navy  of  England — the  most 
tremendous  maritime  force  in  the  world — the  American 
public  navy  is  practically  non-existent.  It  is  difficult  to 
see  how  the  United  States,  in  the  improbable  event  of  a 
conflict  with  this  country,  could  keep  the  sea  for  any  length 
of  time,  even  if  they  converted  every  vessel  in  their 
mercantile  marine  into  a  privateer.  Neither  mercantile 
nor  public  navies  can  be  created  in  a  few  weeks  or  months, 
and  the  present  preponderance  of  Great  Britain  in  both 


460  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

classes  of  vessels,  could  not  be  seriously  reduced  on  the 
outbreak  of  hostilities,  by  even  the  clever  and  energetic 
American  people.  This  statement  is  borne  out  by  a 
comparison  of  British  and  American  shipping,  made  in  a 
Times  article  of  December,  1896,  from  which  we  learn  that 
the  total  tonnage  of  the  United  States  mercantile  marine  is 
rather  under  4^  millions,  more  than  70  per  cent,  of  which 
is  of  timber. 

"  It  needs  no  elaborate  parade  of  argument,"  says  the 
Times,  "to  prove  that,  with  a  merchant  marine  in  which 
timber  still  constitutes  70  per  cent  of  the  total  tonnage,  the 
United  States  could  not  possibly  hope  to  compete  with  a 
marine  like  our  own  where  timber  is  almost  entirely  discarded, 
and  where  sailing  vessels  have  ceased  to  be,  as  they  once  were,  a 
dominating  factor,  more  especially  when  we  add  that  almost 
one-half  of  the  American  marine  is  still  sail  propelled.  Little 
more  need  be  said  in  explanation  of  the  fact  that  during  the 
first  ten  months  of  the  current  year — to  take  the  latest  figures 
available — of  the  tonnage  that  entered  and  cleared  at  British 
ports  only  some  625,000  were  of  American  nationality,  whereas 
35^  million  tons  were  of  British  origin.  This  preponderance 
of  British  tonnage  is  all  the  more  striking  when  we  remember 
that  during  the  same  ten  months  the  total  value  of  our  direct 
trade  with  the  United  States  was  not  less  than  88  millions 
sterling,  or  about  20  per  cent,  of  the  value  of  our  trade  with  all 
countries  in  that  period.  As  against  the  American  marine  of 
nearly  4^  million  gross  tons  already  alluded  to,  we  have  in  the 
United  Kingdom  a  mercantile  marine  of  about  twelve  million 
tons,  almost  entirely  built  in  iron  or  steel,  and  so  largely 
modernised  from  year  to  year  that  it  is  necessarily  at  the  highest 
point  of  efficiency.  This  is  more  than  can  be  said  of  even  the 
steel-built  tonnage  in  the  American  marine,  although  much  of 
that  tonnage  is  superior  to  what  could  be  shown  a  few  years 
ago." 

While    it    would    be    a    rash    thing   to   assert  that  the 
American  merchant  navy  will  never  seriously  compete  with 


SECOND  WAR  WITH  AMERICA.  461 

the  British  marine,  it  is  safe  enough  to  assume  that  the 
Union  Jack  is  not  likely  to  have  anything  to  fear  from  the 
Stars  and  Stripes  for  a  long  time  to  come.  The  true  patriots 
on  both  sides  of  the  Atlantic  will  ever  pray  that  nothing  more 
bitter  than  friendly  rivalry  in  the  arts  of  peace  may  stimu- 
late these  two  great  nations,  whose  mission  is,  hand  in  hand, 
to  scale  the  heights  of  civilization,  and  shower  blessings 
upon  mankind. 

For  more  than  eighty  years,  the  merchant  navy  of  the 
British  Empire  has  sailed  in  every  sea  unmolested  and 
unmolesting,  until  our  merchants  have  become  almost 
oblivious  of  those  contingencies  which  require  to  be 
specially  provided  against  during  a  naval  conflict.  Yet  do 
the  signs  of  the  times  indicate,  that  in  the  future,  as  in  the 
past,  the  merchant  vessels  of  Liverpool  may  play  a  dis- 
tinguished part  in  the  terrible  game  of  war.  On  the  26th 
of  June,  1897,  there  assembled  in  the  historic  waters  of  the 
Solent,  in  honour  of  Queen  Victoria's  record  reign,  and  of 
days  more  truly  "spacious"  than  those  of  "  great  Elizabeth," 
a  magnificent  naval  pageant  comprising  nearly  200  war 
vessels,  or  twenty-five  miles  of  fighting  force.  Never  in 
the  world's  history  has  so  stupendous  an  exhibition  of  naval 
supremacy  been  seen.  So  large  an  array,  such  strength, 
such  powers  of  destruction,  such  speed  were  never  before 
assembled  together,  to  fill  the  mind  with  awe  and  admiration, 
and  to  teach  the  nations  of  the  earth  to  cultivate  peaceable 
habits.  Conspicuous  even  among  this  unparelleled  demon- 
stration of  sea  power,  were  the  magnificent  representatives 
of  Liverpool's  armed  merchant  cruisers,  and  especially  the 
Campania,  "before  which,  with  its  towering  bulwarks,  its 
graceful  lines,  and  its  huge  red  funnels,  even  the  largest 
of  the  war-ships  seemed  to  dwarf."  Perhaps  it  is  not  too 
much  to  say  that  if  a  single  Campania,  or  Teutonic,  were 
opposed  to  all  the  privateers  that  ever  sailed  out  of  Liver- 
pool, she  could  destroy  them  all,  and  still  be  none  the  worse 


462  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS, 

for  the  encounter,  provided  that  her  ammunition  did  not 
prematurely  give  out,  or  her  guns  wear  out.  Such  is  our 
appalling  progress  in  deadliness,  and  such,  too,  is  the 
capacity  of  Liverpool  for  keeping  abreast  of  the  times,  and, 
in  peace  or  war,  holding  its  own  on  the  "silver  sea." 


THE    LIVERPOOL    SLAVE    TRADE. 


1 


, 


THE    LIVERPOOL   SLAVE   TRADE. 

CHAPTER    I. 
How  IT  ORIGINATED  AND  THRIVED. 

"  Man  finds  his  fellow  guilty  of  a  skin 
Not  coloured  like  his  own,  and  having  power 
To  enforce  the  wrong,  for  such  a  worthy  cause 
Dooms  and  devotes  him  as  his  lawful  prey." 

THE  British  first  began  to  trade  with  Africa  in  1553.  In 
August  of  that  year,  two  vessels  under  the  command  of 
Thomas  Windham,  sailed  from  Portsmouth  on  a  voyage  to 
Guinea  and  Benin.  The  second  voyage  was  made  in  1554, 
by  John  Lok,  who  reported  that  he  carried  "five  blaca- 
moors  "  to  England.  To  Sir  John  Hawkins,  one  of  the 
great  sea  captains  of  the  reign  of  Queen  Elizabeth,  belongs 
the  infamous  distinction  of  being  the  first  Englishman  who 
engaged  in  the  importation  of  slaves  from  Africa.  Eliza- 
beth, at  first,  seems  to  have  revolted  at  the  very  thought  of 
the  new  British  traffic,  and  to  have  foreseen  the  evils  to 
which  its  continuance  might  lead.  We  find  her  sending  for 
Captain  Hawkins  on  his  return  from  his  first  voyage  to 
Africa  and  Hispaniola,  whither  he  had  carried  slaves,  and 
expressing  her  anxiety  lest  any  of  the  negroes  should  be 
carried  off  without  their  free  consent,  declaring  that  "it 
would  be  detestable,  and  call  down  the  vengeance  of  Heaven 
upon  the  undertakers."  Captain  Hawkins  promised  to 
respect  the  scruples  of  his  royal  mistress,  but  when  he 
reached  the  coast  of  Africa,  on  his  second  voyage,  the  sight 

2G 


466  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 

of  so  much  "black  ivory"  proved  too  strong  a  temptation 
for  him.  He  seized  many  of  the  inhabitants,  carried  them 
off  as  slaves,  and  sold  them  to  the.  Spaniards  to  work  in  the 
mines  and  plantations.  "  Here,"  says  Hill,  the  historian, 
"began  the  horrid  practice  of  forcing  the  Africans  into 
slavery,  an  injustice  and  barbarity,  which,  so  sure  as  there 
is  vengeance  in  heaven  for  the  worst  of  crimes,  will  some- 
time be  the  destruction  of  all  who  allow  or  encourage  it." 

In  the  year  of  the  Armada  (1588),  Queen  Elizabeth  by 
letters  patent,  limited  the  trade  with  Africa  to  a  company, 
which  was  also  encouraged  by  James  I.  and  Charles  I.  In 
1618,  an  African  company  was  established,  but  a  traffic  in 
slaves  formed  no  part  of  its  objects.  It  was  not  until  after 
the  colonizing  of  Barbadoes  and  Antigua,  in  the  years 
1623-25,  that  the  slave  trade,  though  very  profitable,  com- 
menced to  be  carried  on  in  English  ships.  From  that  time 
the  English  merchants  and  shipowners  plunged  into  the 
trade  as  eagerly  as  the  Portuguese  and  Spaniards  had  done 
before,  and  as  the  French  and  Dutch  did  about  the  same 
time.  In  consequence  of  the  great  depredations  committed 
upon  the  English  traders  by  the  Dutch,  Charles  II.,  in 
1662,  granted  an  incorporation  to  "The  Company  of  Royal 
Adventurers  of  England  to  Africa,"  who,  being  unsuccessful, 
resigned  their  Charter  in  favour  of  "The  Royal  African 
Assiento  Company."  In  1689,  this  company  entered  into  a 
contract  to  supply  the  Spanish  West  Indies  with  slaves.  A 
large  house,  called  the  South  Sea  House,  was  built  at 
Kingston,  Jamaica,  for  the  accommodation  of  factors,  who 
were  stationed  there  to  conduct  the  business,  and  for  the 
reception  of  the  human  cargoes  which  survived  the  horrors 
of  the  "  middle  passage."  Although  the  company's  Charter 
was  abrogated  by  the  Bill  of  Rights — the  third  great 
Charter  of  British  freedom — the  company  carried  things 
with  a  high  hand,  and  seized  the  ships  of  private  traders. 
Bristol,  however,  carried  on  the  traffic  under  great  difficulties 


HOW  IT  ORIGINATED  AND  THRIVED.  467 

from  the  time  the  monopoly  was  rendered  illegal  by  the 
Bill  of  Rights,  until  the  trade  was  thrown  open  in  1698  by 
the  breaking  up  of  the  Assiento  Company. 

The  great  wealth  of  the  merchants  of  London  and  Bristol, 
enabled  them  to  enjoy  a  practical  monopoly  of  the  African 
slave  trade  for  a  long  period  prior  to  Liverpool  having  any 
share  in  it.  Liverpool  adventurers  with  a  small  capital 
were  unable  to  equip  vessels  and  purchase  goods  specially 
adapted  to  the  African  market  and  of  no  use  outside  of  that 
market,  nor  could  they  afford  to  await  the  uncertain  results 
of  round  voyages,  sometimes  prolonged  to  more  than  a 
year,  and  subject  to  terrible  dangers  unknown  to  any  other 
description  of  trading  adventures.  Early  in  the  eighteenth 
century,  however,  a  successful  rivalship  with  Bristol,  in 
exporting  provisions,  and  coarse  checks  and  silk  hand- 
kerchiefs of  Manchester  make,  to  the  West  Indies  and  the 
continent  of  America,  eventually  enabled  the  merchants  of 
Liverpool  to  participate  in  the  more  lucrative  slave  traffic. 
While  Liverpool  obtained  from  this  competition  a  sudden 
accession  to  her  commerce,  which  stimulated  the  industrious 
and  enriched  the  enterprising,  multiplied  the  ships  in  her 
docks,  and  filled  her  warehouses  with  sugar,  rum,  and  other 
West  India  produce,  the  trade  of  Bristol  to  the  West  Indies 
declined.  The  checks  of  Manchester,  carried  in  Liverpool 
ships,  ousted  from  that  market  the  German,  French,  and 
Scotch  osnaburgs  exported  from  Bristol.  Finding  them- 
selves out-distanced  in  the  competition,  the  merchants  of 
Bristol  embarked  with  energy  in  the  slave  trade,  and  that 
so  successfully,  that  the  number  of  ships  despatched  by 
them  to  the  slave  coast  from  the  year  1701  to  1709  was  no 
less  than  57  per  annum.  The  effect  of  this  upon  the  London 
slave  traffic  was  enormous.  The  104  vessels  employed  by 
that  port  in  the  Guinea  trade  in  1701,  fell  to  72  in  1702,  and 
50  in  1704,  while  in  1707  there  were  only  30  ships  so 
employed.  As  yet,  the  hands  of  Liverpool  were  clean  from 


468  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 

negro  blood.  There  was  one  easy  gradient  to  descend 
before  she  entered  upon  the  horrid  traffic,  and  this  was  the 
contraband  trade  with  the  Spanish  main.  Spain  shipped 
to  her  colonists  in  America,  French  and  German  checks, 
stripes  and  osnaburgs,  under  a  duty  of  300  per  cent.  To 
evade  this  exorbitant  impost,  the  Spanish  West  India 
traders  ran  down  in  schooners  and  large  canoes  from  the 
Havannah,  Portobello,  and  Carthagena  to  Jamaica,  to 
purchase  Manchester  goods,  which  they  found  not  only 
cheaper,  but  superior  in  quality  to  those  made  in  France 
and  Germany.  A  growing  demand  resulted  in  ample 
returns  in  specie  to  Liverpool  and  Manchester,  and  in  spite 
of  the  vigilance  of  the  Spanish  Guarda  Costa,  which  were 
continually  cruising  between  the  south-end  of  Jamaica  and 
the  Spanish  main,  this  trade  flourished  for  about  twenty 
years,  and  gave  the  Guarda  Costa  some  excuse  for  the 
cruelties  they  practised  in  boarding  and  plundering  British 
vessels,  under  the  pretence  of  searching  for  contraband 
goods.  The  traffic  received  a  check  in  1740,  in  consequence 
of  a  remonstrance  from  the  King  of  Spain,  and  finally 
received  its  death  blow  from  the  Grenville  treaty  of  1747- 
The  cutting  off  of  a  branch  of  commerce,  which,  while  it 
lasted,  helped  to  establish  the  manufactures  of  Manchester, 
and  lay  the  foundation  of  the  fortunes  of  several  mercantile 
houses*  both  in  that  town  and  Liverpool,  threw  a  strong 
temptation  in  the  way  of  the  Liverpool  merchants  to  employ 
their  ships  in  the  Guinea  trade. 

When  the  slave  trade  was  thrown  open  in  1698,  Parlia- 
ment enacted  that  private  traders  should  pay  to  the  Assiento 
Company  10  per  cent,  for  the  repairs  of  the  forts  and  the 
expenses  of  the  factory.  Disputes  and  dissensions  arising 

*  In  Edwards's  History  of  the  West  Indies,  it  is  stated  that  the  value  of  the 
goods  annually  disposed  of  amounted  to  .£1,500,000  sterling,  while  4,000  tons  of 
shipping  were  employed  in  this  one  single  branch  of  commerce.  When  the  con- 
traband trade  was  at  its  height,  the  annual  return  to  the  town  of  Manchester  tor 
the  first  cost  of  the  goods  was  estimated  at  ^560,000,  and  the  amount  of  the  profits 
to  the  merchants  of  Liverpool  at  ^"273,467. 


HOW  IT  ORIGINATED  AND  THRIVED.  469 


from  this  arrangement,  the  legislature,  it^rjWy)  gran  ted  a 
certain  sum  for  such  purposes,  and  enacted  that  persons 
trading  to  Africa  should  pay  to  the  Chamberlain  of  London, 
the  Clerk  of  the  Merchants'  Hall,  Bristol,  or  to  the  Town 
Clerk  of  Liverpool,  405.  for  the  freedom  of  the  new  company, 
which  should  consist  of  all  his  Majesty's  subjects  trading 
between  Cape  Blanco  and  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope.  London, 
Bristol,  and  Liverpool  were  each  to  send  three  committee 
men  to  manage  the  business,  and  to  take  charge  of  the  forts 
and  factories.  Thus  encouraged,  the  merchants  of  Liverpool, " 
trebly  qualified  by  the  capital,  spirit  of  adventure,  and 
knowledge  of  the  requirements  of  the  West  India  Islands 
gained  in  the  contraband  trade,  entered  heartily  into  the 
new  speculation.  The  merchants  of  London  having  almost 
relinquished  the  slave  trade  in  1720,  the  memorable  year  of 
the  South  Sea  disaster,  the  only  rival  Liverpool  had  to  fear 
in  its  fresh  sphere  of  enterprise  was  Bristol.  The  pre- 
dominance gained  by  that  port  over  London  in  the  Guinea 
trade,  and  the  success  obtained  over  Bristol  by  Liverpool  in 
the  West  India  market  were  not  more  remarkable  than  the 
success  of  Liverpool  adventurers  in  a  traffic  which,  however 
repugnant  to  the  feelings  of  humanity,  was  productive  of 
vast  profits.  For  a  period  of  77  years,  they  carried  on  the 
trade  with  a  characteristic  vigour  and  ability  that  out- 
distanced every  competitor,  and  won  for  Liverpool  the 
unenviable  distinction  of  being  the  chief  slaving  town  of  the 
Old  World. 

It  must  not  be  supposed  from  the  fact  that,  between  the 
year  1709  and  1730,  only  a  single  barque  of  30  tons  burthen 
sailed  from  the  Mersey  for  Africa,  and  laid  the  foundation  of 
a  great  but  terrible  commerce  by  conveying  15  slaves 
across  the  Atlantic,  that  Liverpool  felt  any  repugnance  to 
embark  in  a  lucrative  trade  in  which  every  seaport  of 
Europe  was  engaged,  which  London  and  other  English 
ports  had  carried  on  for  nearly  a  hundred  years,  and  which 


470  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 

was  winked  at,  if  not  sanctioned  by,  the  British  legislature.* 
No  more  scruple  was  then  felt  as  to  the  "licitness"  of  the  trade 
in  slaves  than  as  to  the  lawfulness  of  the  trade  in  black  cattle. 
"  So  totally  different  was  the  feeling  which  then  prevailed  on 
this  subject, "  says  Baines,  ' '  that  whilst  the  article  of  the  treaty 
of  Vienna,  denouncing  the  African  slave  trade,  was  regarded 
as  the  noblest  article  of  the  great  pacification  of  1815,  the 
article  of  the  treaty  of  Utrecht,  giving  England  the  privi- 
lege of  importing  negroes  into  the  Spanish  possessions  in 
America  as  well  as  into  her  own,  was  regarded  as  one  of 
the  greatest  triumphs  of  the  pacification  of  1713." 

Immediately  on  the  adoption  of  the  new  regulations  in 
1730,  15  vessels,  of  the  average  burthen  of  75  tons  each,  were 
despatched  from  Liverpool  to  the  coast  of  Africa.  The 
number  of  slaves  annually  imported  in  the  infancy  of  the 
trade  cannot  now  be  ascertained,  but  the  encouragement 
must  have  been  very  great  to  increase  the  vessels  more 
than  double  in  seven  years,  33  Guineamen  having  cleared 
for  the  coast  in  the  year  1737. 

The  Liverpool  merchants  at  length  found  it  advantageous 
to  have  their  own  factors  settled  at  Jamaica,  as  had  long  been 
the  practice  of  London  and  Bristol.  Liverpool  hitherto  had 
been  compelled  to  dispose  of  her  adventures  by  super- 
cargoes, who  were  often  obliged  to  sell  their  goods  at  a  low 
advance  on  the  invoice,  to  enable  them  to  make  their  returns 
in  the  vessel,  which  was  frequently  an  impediment  to  the 
sale  of  their  goods.  The  planters  soon  discovered  that  they 
could  purchase  slaves  from  the  Liverpool  stores  at  four  or 
five  pounds  per  head  less  than  from  the  London  and  Bristol 
factors,  and  yet  get  the  same  length  of  credit  as  had  been 
given  by  the  latter.  The  causes  which  enabled  Liverpool 
merchants  thus  to  dispose  of  Guinea  cargoes  of  "  prime 
negroes"  at  about  12  per  cent,  less  than  the  rest  of  the 

*  The  property  in  slaves  was  specifically  acknowledged  by  statute  of  5th, 
Geo.  II.,  Cap.  7,  and  again  by  I3th,  Geo.  III.,  Cap.  14. 


HO  W  IT  ORIGIN  A  TED  AND  THRIVED.  4  7 1 

kingdom,  and  at  the  same  time  return  an  equal  profit, 
are  thus  set  forth  by  a  well-informed  local  author  of  the 
eighteenth  century  : — * 

"The  reason  the  port  of  Liverpool  could  undersell  the 
merchants  of  London  and  Bristol,  was  the  restriction  in  their 
outfits  and  method  of  factorage.  The  London  and  Bristol 
merchants  not  only  allowed  ample  monthly  pay  to  their 
captains,  but  cabin  privileges,  primage  and  daily  port  charges; 
they  also  allowed  their  factors  five  per  cent,  on  the  sales,  and 
five  per  cent,  on  the  returns,  and  their  vessels  were  always 
full  manned  by  seamen  at  a  monthly  rate.  The  Liverpool 
merchants  proceeded  on  a  more  economical  but  less  liberal 
plan,  the  generality  of  their  captains  were  at  annual  salaries, 
or  if  at  monthly  pay,  four  pounds  were  thought  great  wages  at 
that  time,  no  cabin  privileges  were  permitted,  primage  was 
unknown  amongst  them,  and  as  to  port  allowances,  not  a 
single  shilling  was  given,  while  five  shillings  a  day  was  the 
usual  pay  from  Bristol,  and  seven  and  six  from  London. 
The  captains  from  these  ports  could,  therefore,  occasionally 
eat  on  shore,  and  drink  their  bottle  of  Madeira  ;  whereas,  the 
poor  Liverpool  skipper  was  obliged  to  repair  on  board  to  his 
piece  of  salt  beef  and  biscuit,  and  bowl  of  new  rum  punch, 
sweetened  with  brown  sugar.  The  factors,  instead  of  a  rate 
per  centum,  had  an  annual  salary,  and  were  allowed  the  rent 
of  their  store,  negro  hire,  and  other  incidental  charges ;  there- 
fore, if  the  consignments  were  great  or  small,  the  advantages 
to  the  factor  suffered  no  variation.  Their  portage  was  still 
more  economical,  their  method  was  to  take  poor  boys 
apprentice  for  long  terms,  who  were  annually  increased, 
became  good  seamen,  were  then  second  mates,  and  then 
first  mates,  then  captains,  and  afterwards  factors  on  the 
islands.  This  was  the  usual  gradation  at  the  time,  whereby 
few  men  at  monthly  pay  were  required  to  navigate  a  Liver- 
pool vessel." 

*  A  general  and  descriptive  history  of  Liverpool,  published  anonymously  in  I795» 


472  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLAVE  TRADE, 

In  1746,  the  Fortune,  Captain  Green,  of  Liverpool,  on  her 
voyage  from  Africa  to  Jamaica,  was  captured  and  carried 
to  Porto  Cavalla,  with  354  slaves  on  board. 

In  1747,  the  slave-ship  Ogden,  Captain  Tristram,  of  Liver- 
pool, bound  from  Africa  to  Jamaica,  was  taken  by  a  Spanish 
privateer.  The  gallant  resistance  made  by  the  crew  so 
irritated  the  Spaniards,  that,  on  boarding  the  Ogden,  they 
killed  all,  both  whites  and  blacks,  during  which  the  ship 
sunk,  and  all  on  board,  except  one  man,  five  boys,  and  nine 
negroes,  perished. 

In  1751,  the  African  trade,  under  legislative  enactments, 
had  swelled  to  a  great  volume,  and  in  that  year  no  fewer 
than  53  vessels, with  an  aggregate  burthen  of  5,334  tons, sailed 
from  the  Mersey  for  the  slave-coast.  Owing  to  the  length 
of  the  round  voyage,  which  sometimes  occupied  over  a  year, 
the  returns  of  Guineamen  that  cleared  annually  for  the  coast 
from  Liverpool  do  not  represent  all  the  vessels  belonging 
to  the  port  then  actively  engaged  in  the  trade.  We  find,  for 
instance,  in  the  returns,*  that  58  vessels  cleared  for  Africa 
in  the  year  1752, f  but  from  "  Williamson's  Liverpool 
Memorandum  Book,"  published  in  1753,  we  know  that  in 
1752,  Liverpool  possessed  no  less  than  88  vessels  employed 
in  the  African  trade, \  all  of  which,  with  one  exception, 
carried  slaves.  That  exception  was  the  Eaton,  owned  by 
Messrs.  John  Okill  &  Co.,  which  traded  in  wood  and 
teeth.  The  87  slavers  had  a  capacity  for  conveying  about 
25,000  negroes  across  that  terrible  belt  of  ocean  in  which 

*See  appendix. 

t  In  the  History  of  the  County  Palatine  and  Duchy  of  Lancaster,  \  y  Edward 
Baines,  edited  by  Jas.  Croston,  F.S.A.,  it  is  stated  that  only  51  or  52  Liverpool 
vessels  out  of  upwards  of  300  were  engaged  in  the  slave-trade  in  the  year  1752,  an 
assertion  contradicted,  both  by  the  clearance  list  and  the  list  of  vessels  actually 
employed. 

J  They  traded  with  the  following  places: — 5  with  Benin,  II  with  Angola, 
3  with  New  Calabar,  II  with  Old  Calabar,  38  with  the  Windward  and  Gold  Coast, 
&c.,  12  with  Bonny,  and  8  with  Gambia.  All  these  vessels  were  also  engaged  in 
the  trade  with  America:  for  the  living  cargoes  which  they  took  in  on  the  coast  of 
Africa  they  conveyed  either  to  the  West  Indies  or  the  North  American  plantations, 
from  Maryland  and  Virginia  southwards,  after  which  they  returned  to  Liverpool, 
with  cargoes  of  sugar,  rum,  and  other  tropical  or  colonial  produce. 


HOW  IT  ORIGINATED  AND  THRIVED.  473 

so  many  heart-broken  captives  found  rest.  The  number 
shipped,  if  not  actually  delivered  "in  good  order  and 
condition,"  was  probably  much  higher,  as  it  was  then 
customary  to  overload,  with  the  most  frightful  results. 

From  the  same  "Memorandum  Book"  we  learn  that 
there  were  in  Liverpool,  in  the  year  1752,  101  merchants 
who  were  members  of  the  Company  trading  to  Africa* 
established  by  Act  of  Parliament  in  1750  (the  23rd  of 
George  II.),  entitled  "An  Act  for  extending  and  improving 
the  trade  to  Africa  belonging  to  Liverpool."  In  the  same 
year  there  were  in  London,  135  African  merchants,  and  in 
Bristol  157,  though  the  African  trade  of  the  latter  was  less 
extensive  than  that  of  Liverpool. 

^  — 

From  this  time  the  man  traffic  set  in  with  such  a  steady 
current,  that  it  soon  became  one  of  the  most  lucrative  branches 
of  the  commerce  of  the  port.  Fast  sailing  vessels,  specially 
adapted  for  the  trade,  were  built  in  the  shipbuilding  yards 
on  the  banks  of  the  Mersey,  where  many  a  noble  frigate  for 
the  king's  navy  was  turned  out  in  those  days,  and  soon 
the  odour  of  the  human  shambles  began  to  mix  with  that 
of  tar  and  rum  in  the  docks  of  Liverpool.  Here,  as  else- 
where, it  was  impossible  to  keep  the  pollution  at  a  distance 
— the  smoke  of  the  evil  genie  followed  the  homeward  bound 
Guineamen  across  the  seas,  and  tainted  the  town,  in  spite 
of  every  effort  to  bottle  it.  The  insignia  of  the  men-stealers 
were  boldly  exhibited  for  sale  in  the  shops  and  warehouses,  j. 
and  advertised  in  the  papers.f  Busts  of  blackamoors  and 

*  In  the  appendix  will  be  found  a  list  of  the  Liverpool  African  merchants,  and 
also  of  their  88  Guineamen,  their  commanders'  names,  and  the  slave-carrying 
capacity  of  each  vessel. 

t  In  1756,  the  following  articles  suitable  for  a  Guinea  voyage  were  advertised  to 
be  sold  by  auction  at  the  Merchants'  Coffee-house  : — One  iron  furnace  and  copper, 
27  cafes  (?)  with  bottles,  83  pairs  of  shackles,  n  neck  collars,  22  handcuffs  for  thr 
travelling  chain,  4  long  chains  for  the  slaves,  54  rings,  2  travelling  chains,  I  corn 
mill,  7  four-pound  basons,  6  two-pound  basons,  3  brass  pans,  28  kegs  of  gunpowder, 
12  cartouches  boxes,  I  iron  ladle,  I  small  basket  of  flints.  In  the  paper  of  May 
27th,  1757>  another  lot  was  advertised:  one  large  negro  hearth  with  2  iron 
furnaces,  I  copper  ditto  for  450  slaves,  I  decoction  copper  kettle,  ditto  pan,  a 
parcel  of  shackles,  chains,  neck  collars,  and  handcufls,  i  iron  furnace,  245  gallons, 
with  a  lead  top,  sufficient  to  boil  lo  barrels  of  liquor. 


474  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 

elephants,  emblematical  of  the  African  trade,  adorned  the 
Exchange  or  Town  Hall.*  One  street  in  the  town  was  nick- 
named Negro  Row,  and  negro  slaves  were  occasionally  sold 
by  auction  in  the  shops,  warehouses,  and  coffee-houses,  and 
also  on  the  steps  of  the  Custom  House. f  The  young  bloods 
of  the  town,  when  not  engaged  in  more  disgraceful  pursuits, 
deemed  it  fine  amusement  to  circulate  handbills  in  which 
young  ladies  were  offered  for  sale. 

In  an  auctioneer's  bill  of  the  period,  we  find,  "  twelve 
pipes  of  raisin  wine,  two  boxes  of  bottled  cyder,  six  sacks 
of  flour,  three  negro  men,  two  negro  women,  two  negro 
boys,  and  one  negro  girl." 

Amongst  the  many  curious  advertisements  which  appeared 
in  the  Liverpool  papers,  while  the  slave  trade  was  in  full 
swing,  were  two  side  by  side  in  Williamson's  Advertiser, 
of  August  2Oth,  1756.  The  first  announced  the  hull  of  the 
snow  Molly,  to  be  sold  by  the  candle  at  i  o'clock  noon  at 
'R.  Williamson's  shop,  adding  :  "  N.B. — Three  young  men 
slaves  to  be  sold  at  the  same  time."  Facing  it  in  the  next 
column  we  read,  "Wanted  immediately  a  negro  boy.  He 
must  be  of  a  deep  black  complexion,  and  a  lively,  humane 
disposition,  with  good  features,  and  not  above  15,  nor 
under  12  years  of  age.  Apply  to  the  printer."  The  irony 
of  contrast  presented  by  these  two  advertisements  was,  of 
course,  lost  upon  the  most  "lively  and  humane"  reader  of 

*  "Between  the  capitals  runs  an  entablature  or  fillet,  on  which  are  placed  in 
base  relief  the  busts  of  blackamoors  and  elephants,  with  the  teeth  of  the  latter, 
with  such-like  emblematical  figures  representing  the  African  trade  and  commerce. " 
—  "  History  of  Liverpool." 

t  The  Custom  House,  on  the  east  side  of  the  Old  Dock,  now  Canning  Place, 
was  built  about  1700,  by  Mr.  Silvester  Moorecroft,  who  was  mayor  in  1706.  It 
was  a  meagre  red  brick  building  with  two  slightly  projecting  wings ;  the  angles 
and  windows  being  ornamented  with  stone.  It  had  the  royal  arms  carved  in  stone 
in  front,  and  was  entered  by  a  wide  flight  of  steps  in  the  centre,  through  arches, 
into  an  arcade  or  piazza,  out  of  which  several  doors  opened,  and  a  staircase  led  to 
the  long  room,  which  was  above  the  piazza,  and  to  several  other  offices.  Ships 
loaded  and  discharged  at  the  quay  in  front  of  the  building,  and  at  the  back  were 
the  Custom  House  yard  and  warehouse  (the  latter  fronting  Paradise  St.),  access  to 
which  was  obtained  by  a  passage  on  the  south  side  of  the  Custom  House.  The 
slave-auctions  were  held  on  the  flight  of  steps  leading  to  the  main  entrance. 


HOW  IT  ORIGINATED  AND  THRIVED.  475 

that  day.     In  the  same  paper,  for  June  24th,  1757,  we  read 

the  following : — 

"For  Sale  immediately,  ONE  stout  NEGRO  young-  fellow, 
about  20  years  of  age,  that  has  been  employed  for  12  months 
on  board  a  ship,  and  is  a  very  serviceable  hand.  And  a  NEGRO 
BOY,  about  12  years  old,  that  has  been  used  since  Sept.  last  to 
wait  at  a  table,  and  is  of  a  very  good  disposition,  both 
warranted  sound.  Apply  to  Robert  Williamson,  Broker.  N.B. 
A  vessel  from  150  to  250  tons  burthen  is  wanted  to  be 
purchased." 

Among  the  wants  advertised  in  December,  1757,  by  Robert 
Williamson  aforesaid,  who  kept  the  Universal  Register 
Office,  near  the  Exchange,  and,  amongst  other  matters, 
registered  "  Persons  of  Ingenuity  and  Learning,"  were  the 
following:  "A  French  Horn  for  a  Letter  of  Marque.  A 
Black  Boy  that  can  beat  a  drum,  for  an  officer  in  the 
Army.  A  person  that  can  play  on  the  Bagpipes,  for  a 
Guinea  ship."  We  are  not  told  whether  the  piper  was 
required  to  discourse  sweet  strains  to  the  crew,  or  to  tame 
the  mutinous  negroes. 

In  the  short-lived  Liverpool  Chronicle,  James  Parker, 
auctioneer,  advertised  for  sale  by  the  candle,  at  the  Merchants' 
Coffee-house,  a  fine  negro  boy,  1 1  years  of  age,  imported 
from  Bonny,  by  Mr.  Thomas  Yates,  a  Guinea  merchant, 
who  lived  in  Cleveland  Square. 

The  following  is  from  Williamson's  Advertiser  of  Feb. 
1 7th,  1758:- 

"  For  Sale  a  Healthful  Negro  Boy,  about  5  feet  high,  well 
proportioned,  of  a  mild,  sober,  honest  disposition  ;  has  been 
with  his  present  master  3  years,  and  used  to  wait  on  a  table, 
and  to  assist  in  a  stable." 

On  the  8th  of  September,  1758,  the  following  appeared  in 
the  same  paper  : — 

"Run  away  from  Dent,  in  Yorkshire,  on  Monday,  the 
28th  August  last,  Thomas  Anson,  a  negro  man,  about 


476  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 

5  ft.  6  ins.  high,  aged  20  years  and  upwards,  and  broad 
set.  Whoever  will  bring  the  said  man  back  to  Dent,  or 
give  any  information  that  he  may  be  had  again,  shall  receive 
a  handsome  reward  from  Mr.  Edmund  Sill,  of  Dent ;  or 
Mr.  David  Kenyon,  merchant,  in  Liverpool." 

In  1765,  we  have  another  specimen  from  the  same 
source: — 

"To  be  sold  by  Auction  at  George's  Coffee-house,  betwixt 
the  hours  of  six  and  eight  o'clock,  a  very  fine  negro  girl  about 
eight  years  of  age,  very  healthy,  and  hath  been  some  time 
from  the  coast.  Any  person  willing  to  purchase  the  same 
may  apply  to  Capt.  Robert  Syers,  at  Mr.  Bartley  Hodgett's, 
Mercer  and  Draper  near  the  Exchange,  where  she  may  be 
seen  till  the  time  of  Sale." 

In  the  paper  of  September  i2th,  1766,  was  announced  "to 
be  sold  at  the  Exchange  Coffee-house  in  Water  Street,  this 
day  the  i2th  inst.  September,  at  one  o'clock  precisely,  eleven 
negroes,  imported  per  the  Angola,  *  *  *  *  Broker." 

On  December  ist,  1767,  one  negro  man  and  two  boys 
were  advertised  for  sale  at  Mr.  Robinson's  office. 

Thus  the  hateful  traffic  was  not  kept  altogether  at  a 
distance,  nor  confined  to  those  referred  to  by  the  poet — 

"  But  ah  !    what  wish  can  prosper  or  what  prayer, 
For  merchants  rich  in  cargoes  of  despair  ; 
Who  drive  a  loathsome  traffic,  gauge  and  span, 
And  buy  the  bones  and  muscles  of  the  man." 

It  is,  indeed,  too  often  forgotten  that  while  British  ships 
were  employed  in  transporting  millions  of  "  African 
labourers "  to  their  doom  in  the  mines,  and  on  the  sugar 
and  cotton  plantations  of  the  New  World,  the  traffic  in 
human  flesh  and  blood  was  polluting  freedom-loving 
England  itself:  and  in  justice  to  Liverpool,  a  few  facts 
must  be  stated  under  this  head,  lest  the  reader  should 
imagine  that  her  people  were  worse  than  their  neighbours. 


HOW  IT  ORIGINATED  AND  THRIVED.  477 

When  Henry  Esmond  Warrington,  Esq.,  of  Virginia, 
landed  at  Bristol,  in  1756,  with  his  black  slave  Gumbo,  he 
was  only  the  type  of  thousands  of  others  who  landed  upon 
our  shores,  and  Gumbo,  boasting  in  the  servants'  hall  at 
Castlewood,  and  singing  in  church  as  loud  as  the  organ, 
was  but  the  idealised  representative  of  thousands  of  black 
slaves  held  in  bondage  in  England  at  that  period.  In  1764, 
the  "Gentleman's  Magazine"  estimated  that  there  were 
upwards  of  20,000  black  slaves  then  domiciled  in  London 
alone,  and  these  slaves  were  openly  bought  and  sold  on 
'Change.  These  unfortunate  creatures  were  burnt  with  some 
distinguishing  mark,  and  collars  and  padlocks  were  deemed  a 
necessary  part  of  their  livery.  That  a  collar  was  considered 
as  essential  for  a  black  slave  as  for  a  dog,  is  clear  from  the 
London  Advertiser  for  1756,  in  which  Matthew  Dyer, 
working  goldsmith,  at  the  Crown,  in  Duck  Lane,  Orchard 
Street,  Westminster,  intimates  to  the  public  that  he  makes 
"silver  padlocks  for  Blacks  or  Dogs;  collars,  &c."  In  the 
London  Gazette  of  March,  1685,  a  reward  was  advertised  for 
bringing  back  John  White,  a  black  boy  of  about  15  years  of 
age,  who  had  run  away  from  Colonel  Kirke's.  He  had  a 
silver  collar  about  his  neck,  upon  which  was  the  Colonel's 
coat-of-arms  and  cipher;  he  had  also  upon  his  throat  a  great 
scar,  &c.  King  William  III.,  "of  glorious  memory,"  had 
a  favourite  slave,  a  bust  of  whom  may  be  seen  at  Hampton 
Court;  the  head  is  of  black  marble,  and  the  drapery  round 
the  shoulders  and  chest  of  veined  yellow  marble,  while  the 
throat  is  encircled  by  a  carved  white  marble  collar,  with  a 
padlock,  "in  every  respect  like  a  dog's  metal  collar.  In  the 
Daily  Journal,  of  September  28th,  1728,  is  an  advertisement 
for  a  runaway  black  boy,  who  had  the  legend,  "My  Lady 
Bromfield's  black,  in  Lincoln's  Inn  Fields,"  engraved  on  a 
collar  round  his  neck.  A  specimen  of  these  slave  collars  is 
preserved  in  the  Museum  of  the  Antiquarian  Society,  in 
Edinburgh.  The  collar,  which  in  this  instance  was  worn  by 


478  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 

a  white  man,  bears  the  following  inscription  :  "Alexander 
Stewart,  found  guilty  of  death  for  theft,  at  Perth,  December 
5,  1701. — Gifted  by  the  Justiciaries,  as  a  perpetual  servant, 
to  Sir  John  Erskine,  of  Alva."  The  following  advertise- 
ments show  how  common  was  the  custom  of  buying  and 
selling  black  slaves  in  England  in  the  eighteenth  century: — 

In  the  Tatler,  for  1709,  a  black  boy,  twelve  years  of  age, 
"fit  to  wait  on  a  gentleman,"  is  offered  for  sale  at  Dennis's 
Coffee-house,  in  Finch  Lane,  near  the  Royal  Exchange. 

The  Daily  Post,  of  August  4th,  1720,  contains  the  following: 
"Went  away  the  22nd  July  last,  from  the  house  of  William 
Webb,  in  Limehouse  Hole,  a  negro  man,  about  20  years  old, 
called  Dick,  yellow  complexion,  wool  hair,  about  five  foot  six 
inches  high,  having  on  his  right  breast  the  word  'Hare'  burnt. 
Whoever  brings  him  to  the  said  Mr.  Webb's,  shall  have  half-a- 
guinea  reward  and  reasonable  charges." 

In  the  Daily  Journal,  of  September  28th,  1728,  a  negro  boy, 
eleven  years  of  age,  was  advertised  for  sale  at  the  Virginia 
Coffee-house,  in  Threadneedle  Street,  behind  the  Royal  Ex- 
change. 

The  following  appeared  in  the  London  Advertiser,  of  1756: 
"To  be  sold,  a  Negro  Boy,  about  fourteen  years  old,  warranted 
free  from  any  distemper,  and  has  had  those  fatal  to  that  colour; 
has  been  used  two  years  to  all  kinds  of  household  work,  and  to 
wait  at  table ;  his  price  is  ^25,  and  would  not  be  sold  but  the 
person  he  belongs  to  is  leaving  off  business.  Apply  at  the  bar 
of  the  George  Coffee-house,  in  Chancery  Lane,  over  against  the 
Gate." 

In  the  Public  Ledger,  of  December  3ist,  1761,  "a  healthy 
Negro  Girl,  age  about  fifteen  years,"  is  offered  for  sale;  "speaks 
good  English,  works  at  her  needle,  washes  well,  does  household 
work,  and  has  had  the  small-pox." 

In  1763,  one  John  Rice,  was  hanged  for  forgery  at  Tyburn, 
and  among  his  effects,  sold  by  auction  after  his  execution,  was 
a  negro  boy,  who  fetched  ^32.  The  "Gentleman's  Magazine," 


HOW  IT  ORIGINATED  AND  THRIVED.  479 

commenting-  on  the  sale  of  the  boy,  says  that  this  was  "perhaps 
the  first  custom  of  the  kind  in  a  free  country." 

At  Lichfield,  in  1771,  there  was  offered  for  sale,  by  public 
auction,  "A  Negro  Boy,  from  Africa,  supposed  to  be  ten  or 
eleven  years  of  age.  He  is  remarkably  stout,  well  proportioned, 
speaks  tolerably  good  English,  of  a  mild  disposition,  friendly, 
officious,  sound,  healthy,  fond  of  labour,  and  for  colour,  an 
excellent  fine  black." 

The  Stamford  Merciiry,  for  1771,  states  that  "at  a  sale  of  a 
gentleman's  effects  at  Richmond,  a  Negro  Boy  was  put  up  and 
sold  for  ^32  ; "  adding,  "a  shocking  instance  in  a  free  country !" 

In  March,  1752,  the  Clayton  snow,*  Captain  Patrick,  of 
Liverpool,  200  tons  burthen,  armed  with  4  two-pounders 
and  10  swivel  guns,  was  taken  off  Fernando  Po,  on  the 
coast  of  Africa,  by  pirates,  also  from  Liverpool.  These 
proved  to  be  nine  men  and  a  boy  belonging  to  the  Three 
Sisters,  Captain  Jenkins,  who  had  run  away  with  the  ship's 
longboat.  The  pirate  took  the  opportunity  of  luffing  up 
under  the  lee  quarter  of  the  Clayton  when  all  her  hands 
were  forward,  except  the  captain  and  gunner,  and  then 
boarded  with  sword  and  pistol  in  hand,  wounded  the 
captain  in  several  places,  captured  the  ship,  kept  the  crew 
in  irons  one  night,  and  the  next  morning  put  them  on  board 
their  own  longboat  and  turned  them  adrift.  The  pirates 
had  brought  with  them  in  their  boat  a  bale  of  scarlet  cloth 
and  another  of  handkerchiefs,  and  told  the  Clayton's  crew 
that  if  they  "  would  go  a-roving  they  should  be  clothed 
with  scarlet."  Four,  unable  to  resist  this  dazzling  proposal, 
voluntarily  entered  as  rovers,  and  the  chief  mate  and  two 
boys  were  impressed  into  the  pirate  service.  The  rest  of 
the  crew  were  12  days  in  getting  into  the  river  Bonny, 
where  the  king  seized  their  longboat,  and  the  men  had  to 


*  A  common  type  of  slaver  at  this  time  was  a  snow,  of  about  140  tons,  square 
sterned,  57  feet  keel,  21  feet  beam,  5  feet  between  decks,  9  feet  in. the  hold — a 
miniature  Malbolge  when  crammed  with  slaves  like  sardines  in  a  box. 


480  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 

enter  on  board  different  slavers  trading-  there.  The  pirates 
carried  the  Clayton  to  Pernambuco,  where  a  Portuguese 
man-of-war  retook  her  and  carried  her  to  Lisbon,  The 
Three  Sisters  was  wrecked  on  the  coast  of  Wexford,  and 
Captain  Jenkins,  with  most  of  the  crew,  perished. 

In  the  summer  of  1756,  while  a  sloop  commanded  by 
Alexander  Hope  was  making  the  middle  passage  with  a 
cargo  of  slaves,  being  then  100  leagues  from  the  coast,  six 
or  seven  slaves,  who  were  upon  deck,  watched  an  oppor- 
tunity when  the  first  mate  (Mr.  Ashfield)  and  some  more  of 
the  crew  were  in  the  hold,  rushed  into  the  cabin,  knocked 
Captain  Hope's  brains  out,  wounded  the  second  mate 
(Mr.  Charles  Duncan)  in  several  places,  secured  all  the 
arms,  and  kept  possession  of  the  cabin  for  four  hours. 
Duncan,  with  difficulty  got  out  of  the  cabin,  and,  with  the 
assistance  of  the  first  mate  and  the  cooper,  got  the  door  shut 
upon  the  negroes.  The  blacks  then  fired  all  the  muskets 
and  blunderbusses  at  the  crew  through  the  door,  but  hurt 
none  of  them.  The  first  mate  and  the  cooper  then  rushed 
into  the  cabin,  disarmed  the  slaves,  and  recovered  the  vessel. 
The  ringleader  of  the  slaves  jumped  overboard  and  was 
drowned.  The  first  mate  and  the  cooper  received  several 
wounds. 

Captain  Jenkinson,  of  the  Fanny,  writing  to  his  owners 
in  Liverpool,  from  Jamaica,  on  November  27th,  1756,  says  : 
"On  the  igth  we  arrived  here,  with  no  slaves,  22  ct.  of 

ivory,  and ounces  of  gold,  after  a  tedious  passage  of 

13  weeks  and  4  days.  My  slaves  are  sold  from  ^50  to  ^£48 
per  head." 

In  January,  1757,  the  Nancy,  Captain  Gill,  with  72  fine 
slaves  on  board,  was  captured  at  Junk,  while  trading,  by  two 
French  frigates.  "Our  usage,  whilst  on  board  them,"  says 
Captain  Gill,  "was  cruel,  no  better  lodgings  than  the  decks, 
only  short  and  bad  allowance,  and  to  be  marooned  without 
provisions  was  treatment  beneath  an  European  enemy,  let 


HOW  IT  ORIGINATED  AND  THRIVED.  481 

alone  the  polite  nation  of  France."  In  his  letter  Captain 
Gill  mentions  that  the  Priscilla,  of  Liverpool,  had  arrived 
at  Barbadoes  on  the  3Oth  of  March,  from  the  coast  of 
Africa,  having  buried  94  slaves  on  the  middle  passage  ! 
Her  complement  was  350  slaves,  which,  allowing  for  over- 
loading, shows  a  shocking  rate  of  mortality. 

Captain  Bailie,  commander  of  the  slave-ship  Carter, 
writing  to  his  owners  in  Liverpool  from  the  River  Bonny, 
Africa,  on  January  3ist,  1757,  reveals  the  method  sometimes 
resorted  to  by  slave-captains  to  compel  the  native  chiefs  to 
trade  with  them.  He  says:  — 

"We  arrived  here  the  6th  of  December,  and  found  the 
Hector,  with  about  100  slaves  on  board,  also  the  Marquis  of 
Lothian,  of  Bristol,  Capt.  Jones  (by  whom  I  now  write),  who 
was  half  slaved,  and  then  paying"  50  Barrs,  notwithstanding"  he 
had  been  there  3  months  before  our  arrival.  I  have  only  yet 
purchased  15  slaves  at  30  and  35  Barrs;  but  as  soon  as  the 
bearer  sails,  I  propose  giving-  more;  for  at  present  there  is  a 
dozen  of  our  people  sick,  besides  the  two  mates,  some  of  whom 
are  very  bad,  and  I  have  been  for  these  last  8  days  in  a  strong- 
fever,  and  frequently  insensible.  Yesterday  morning-  I  buried 
Thomas  Hodge,  and  on  the  i3th  James  Barton.  Capt.  Nobler 
of  the  Phoenix  arrived  here  the  3d,  and  on  the  igth  our  trade 
was  stopt  (as  it  had  often  been  before)  ;  upon  which  we  all 
marched  on  shore  to  know  the  reason  and  applied  to  the  King- 
thrice,  though  he  constantly  ordered  himself  to  be  denied,  and 
wou'd  not  admit  us.  However,  we  heard  his  voice  in  doors, 
and  as  he  used  us  so  ill,  we  went  on  board,  and  determined 
(after  having-  held  a  Council),  to  fire  upon  the  town  next 
morning,  which  we  accordingly  did,  in  order  to  bring  them  to 
reason,  but  found  that  our  shot  had  little  effect  from  the  river, 
upon  which  we  agreed  that  the  Phoenix  and  the  Hector  shou'd 
go  into  the  Creek,  it  being  nigher  the  town,  whilst  Captain 
Jones  and  I  fired  from  the  river.  The  Phoenix  being  the  head- 
most vessel  went  in,  and  the  Hector  followed  about  a  cable's 

length   astern.       The   Phcenix   had    scarce  entred  the   Creek 
2H 


482  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE, 

before  they  received  a  volley  of  small  arms  from  the  bushes, 
which  were  about  20  yards  distant  from  the  ship,  and  at  the 
same  time  several  shot  from  the  town  went  through  him,  upon 
which  they  came  to  anchor,  and  plied  their  carriage  guns  for 
some  time ;  but  finding  there  was  no  possibility  of  standing  the 
decks,  or  saving  the  ship,  he  struck  his  colours,  but  that  did 
not  avail,  for  they  kept  a  continued  fire  upon  him,  both  of 
great  and  small  arms.  His  people  were  thrown  into  the  utmost 
confusion,  some  went  down  below,  whilst  others  jumpt  into  the 
yaul  which  lay  under  the  ship's  quarter,  who  (on  seeing  a 
number  of  canoes  coming  down  to  board  them)  desired  Capt. 
Nobler  to  come  down  to  them,  which  he  at  last  did,  as  he 
found  the  vessel  in  such  a  shattered  condition,  and  that  it  was 
impossible  for  him  to  get  her  out  of  the  Creek  before  the  next 
ebb  tide,  in  case  he  cou'd  keep  the  canoes  from  boarding  him. 
With  much  difficulty  they  got  on  board  the  Hector,  but  not 
without  receiving  a  number  of  shot  into  the  boat.  The  natives 
soon  after  boarded  the  Phoenix,  cut  her  cables,  and  let  her 
drive  opposite  the  town,  when  they  began  to  cut  her  up,  and 
get  out  her  loading,  which  they  accomplished  in  a  very  short 
time.  But  at  night  in  drawing  off  some  brandy,  they  set  her 
on  fire,  by  which  accident  a  great  many  of  them  perished  in  the 
flames.  The  Phoenix's  hands  are  distributed  amongst  the  other 
three  ships,  and  all  things  are  made  up,  and  trade  open,  but 
very  slow,  and  provisions  scarce  and  dear."  The  Marquis  of 
Lothian  was  afterwards  taken  and  carried  into  Martinico. 

The  dangers  to  which  slave-captains  were  exposed  in 
war  time  is  set  forth  in  the  following  letter  from  Captain 
Jackson,  of  the  ship  King  George,  dated  Surinam,  June 
6th,  1757:- 

"On  the  28th  of  March  last,  being  at  an  anchor  in  Melimba 
Road,  on  the  coast  of  Africa,  in  company  with  the  Ogden, 
Captain  Lawson,  Penelope,  Captain  Wyatt,  and  the  Black 
Prince,  of  Chester,  Captain  Creevey,  two  French  men-of-war 
(the  St.  Michael  of  64  guns,  and  the  Leviathan  of  36  guns), 
stood  directly  in  for  us.  As  soon  as  we  found  it  impossible  to 


HOW  IT  ORIGINATED  AND  THRIVED.  483 

escape,  we  slipt,  and  run  our  ships  on  shore,  choosing  rather 
to  lose  all,  than  fall  into  the  enemies'  hands.  I  had  then  on 
board  390  slaves,  who  ran  away  and  were  for  the  most  part 
taken  by  the  natives.  We  have  lost  everything,  except  a  few 
things  I  had  in  the  factory  on  shore,  and  about  20  slaves,  with 
whom  I  got  on  board  the  ship  Wolpenburg,  of  Flushing,  and 
took  passage  for  this  place.  As  she  does  not  sell  here,  but 
sails  for  St.  Eustatia  in  the  morning,  I  propose  going  with 
her.  Captain  Creevey  got  his  passage  by  way  of  Rotterdam  : 
Captain  Lawson  was  carried  away  by  the  French  men-of-war, 
and  sailed  for  Martinico  ten  days  after  they  forced  us  on 
shore,  and  Captain  Wyatt  we  left  at  Melimba,  with  some 
slaves  that  he  had  saved.  My  surgeon  and  Will  Dawson  are 
with  me  ;  part  of  my  people  propose  staying  on  the  coast  of 
Africa,  whilst  others  design  going  in  the  long  boat  to  Island 
Princess,  or  St.  Thomas's.  I  left  my  second  and  third  mate 
at  Melimba,  who  are  well,  but  poor  Tom  Cross  is  dangerously 
ill,  and  I  had  the  misfortune  to  bury  Mr.  Moncaster  on  the 
29th  of  April." 

Further  details  of  the  unfortunate  affair  were  supplied  by 
Captain  William  Creevey,  on  his  arrival  in  Liverpool. 
They  were  to  the  following  effect:— 

"The  St.  Michael  had  600  men  on  board,  and  the  Leviathan 
300.  They  first  appeared  in  sight  about  7  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing, under  English  colours,  upon  which  all  the  boats  then  on 
shore,  distrusting  them,  immediately  repaired  on  board  their 
respective  ships,  and  made  what  preparations  they  could  for  an 
engagement.  The  frigate,  being  the  headmost  ship,  stretched 
first  in  with  them,  upon  which  a  smart  engagement  ensued 
between  her  and  the  Englishmen,  whose  metal  were  only  3  and 
4  pounders,  and  hers  18  pounders.  The  engagement  lasted 
till  the  64-gun  ship  came  within  reach  of  them  with  her  24 
pounders,  which  obliged  them  to  slip  their  cables,  intending  to 
run  their  ships  on  shore.  The  Frenchmen  dispatched  two 
launches  full  of  men  after  them,  intending  to  cut  them  off  the 
shore,  and  Captain  Creevey's  vessel  being  the  sternmost,  they 


484  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 

attempted  to  board  him,  but  received  such  a  warm  reception 
from  his  stern  chase  guns,  loaded  with  musket  balls,  that  they 
sheered  off,  and  afterwards  steered  for  and  boarded  the  Ogden, 
Captain  Lawson,  whom  with  most -of  his  people  they  carried 
on    board    the    Commandant    and    used    extremely    ill.      Next 
morning'    they  burnt  the  Black  Prince  and   Ogden,   and  after 
waiting  two  days,  destroying  all  before  them,  they  landed  all 
Captain  Lawson's  people  but  himself  and  the  Doctor,  went  to 
Cape  Binda  to  wood  and  water,  and  sailed  for  Martinico.    By 
their  behaviour  on  the  coast  they  seemed  as  if  their  only  object 
was  to  destroy  the  trade ;  for  they  allowed  70  of  the  natives  to 
plunder  the  Ogden,  but  fixed  a  fuzee  to  the  powder  magazine, 
which  blew  up  the  ship  and  all  the  black  men  on  board.     This 
wanton  cruelty  so  exasperated  the  natives  that  they  threatened 
to  take  reveng-e  on  the   first  French  ship  that  fell   into  their 
hands.     The  blacks  behaved  extremely  kind  to  all  the  English- 
men, and  assisted  them  with  what  they  wanted." 
On  the  6th  of  January,   1758,  we  read  that  the  Knight, 
Captain    William     Boates,     from    Annamaboo,    with    398 
slaves,   had   touched  at  St.  Kitts,  all   well,  and   had  gone 
down  for  Jamaica.     On  the   lyth  of  February,  we  read  of 
his   arrival    at   Jamaica   with    360  Coromantee,    Ashantee, 
Akin,  and  Whydah  negroes,   from  which  we  gather   that 
the  sharks  had  banqueted  on  38  prime  negroes.      Off  the 
Leeward  Islands,  Captain  Boates  had  a  smart  engagement^1 
with  a  French   privateer  sloop  of    12   carriage  guns,    and 
full  of  men,  which  attempted  to  board  him  several  times. 
Captain  Boates  armed  several  of  his  negroes,  who  behaved 
very  gallantly  with    the   small   arms,  and    eventually   the 
privateer  sheered  off,  much  disabled,  and  it  was  afterwards 
reported  that  she  had  sunk.     The  story  of  Captain  Boafes 
(or  Boats)  is  a  strange  one.     His  real  name  will  never  be 
known,   as    he   was   a   waif,   found    in    a   boat,    hence   the 
peculiar  surname.     He  was  brought  up  by  the  person  who 
found   him,    placed  in  the   Blue  Coat  School,   which  has 
turned  out  so  many  capable  and  worthy  men  in  every  walk 


HOW  IT  ORIGINATED  AND  THRIVED.  485 

of  life,  and  afterwards  apprenticed  to  the  sea.  He  rose  to 
be  commander  of  a  slave-ship,  and  prospered  amazingly, 
becoming  one  of  the  leading  merchants  and  shipowners  of 
Liverpool.  In  the  paper  of  June  6th,  1760,  the  marriage  is 
announced  of  "  Capt.  Wm.  Boates,  formerly  of  the  African 
trade,  merchant,  to  Miss  Brideson,  daughter  of  Mr.  Paul 
Brideson,  of  Douglas,  Isleman."  It  is  related  that  one  of 
his  vessels  captured  a  Spanish  ship  with  a  large  quantity  of 
gold  and  silver  bullion  and  specie  on  board.  When  the 
news  was  communicated  to  Mr.  Boates,  he  ran  along  the 
Pierhead  exclaiming  "  Billy  Boates — born  a  beggar,  die  a 
lord !  "  Part  of  the  structure  known  as  Drury  Buildihgs, 
Drury  Lane,  was  formerly  his  residence.  It  was  built  in  a 
superior  style  for  that  age,  a  large  portion  of  the  woodwork 
being  mahogany.  The  Liverpool  newspaper  of  November 
3rd,  1794,  records  the  death,  at  the  age  of  78,  of  "  William 
Boates,  Esq.,  whose  extensive  transactions  in  the  commer- 
cial world  rendered  him  a  most  useful  member  of  society, 
and  whose  memory  will  be  long  revered  by  all  who  had 
connections  with  him."  He  was  interred  in  the  Old 
Churchyard.  His  daughter,  the  wife  of  Richard  Puleston, 
Esq.,  died  at  Brighton,  in  September  of  the  same  year. 
His  son,  Henry  Ellis  Boates,  of  Rosehill,  Denbighshire, 
died  in  January,  1805.  "  It  is  a  remarkable  fact,"  says 
Brooke,  "that  of  the  large  number  of  Liverpool  persons 
who  made  fortunes  in  the  African  slave  trade,  and  some  of 
them  acquired  by  that  odious  traffic  considerable  wealth,  it 
only  remained  in  very  few  instances  in  their  families 
until  the  third  generation,  and  in  many  cases  it  was  dis- 
persed or  disappeared  in  the  first  generation  after  the  death 
of  the  persons  acquiring  it." 

Captain  Boates  had  retired  from  the  sea,  and  settled  down 
as  a  merchant,  when  he  appended  his  signature  to  a  very 
interesting  document,*  of  which  the  following  is  a  copy  : — 

*  In  the  possession  of  Mr.  C.  K.  Lace. 


486  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 

"  LIVERPOOLE,  14  April,  1762. 
"  CAPN-  AMBROSE  LACE, 

"  SIR, — You  being-  Master  of  the  ship  Margin's  of  Gran  by, 
and  now  cleard  out  of  the  Custom  house,  and  ready  to  sail  for 
Africa,  America,  and  back  to  Liverpoole,  the  Cargoe  we  have 
shipd  on  Board  is  agreeable  to  the  Annexed  Invoice,  which  we 
consign  you  for  sale,  For  which  you  are  to  have  the  usual 
Commission  of  4  in  104  on  the  Gross  Sales,  and  your  Doctor, 
Mr.  Lawson,  i2d.  ^  Head  on  all  the  slaves  sold,  and  we  give 
you  these  our  orders  to  be  observed  in  the  course  of  your 
intended  voyage.  With  the  First  Favourable  wind  you  must 
sail  and  proceed  in  company  with  the  Douglas,  Cap"  Finch, 
who  has  some  Business  at  the  Isle  of  Man,  when  you  must 
accompany  him  not  waiting  longer  for  him  than  six  days. 
When  finished  at  the  Isle  of  Man,  you  are  to  make  the  Best  of 
your  way  in  Company  thro  the  So.  Channell  and  as  you  are 
Both  Ships  of  Force,  and  we  hope  Tolerably  well  mann'd  you 
will  be  better  able  to  Defend  yourselves  against  the  Enemy, 
we  therefore  Recommend  your  keeping  a  good  Look  out  that 
you  may  be  Prepaird  against  an  attack,  and  shoud  you  be 
Fortunate  enough  to  take  any  vessell  or  vessells  From  the 
Enemy,  we  recommend  your  sending  them  Home  or  to  Cork 
whichever  will  be  most  convenient  so  as  not  to  Distress  your 
own  ship,  and  on  your  arrival  at  Old  Callebar  if  one  or  more 
ships  be  there  you  will  observe  to  make  an  agreement  with  the 
Master  or  Masters  so  as  not  to  advance  the  Price  on  each 
other  and  we  doubt  not  you  will  use  your  utmost  endeavours 
to  keep  down  the  Comeys  which  in  Generall  are  to  extravagant 
there  and  For  which  you  have  no  Return  at  least  not  worth 
any  thing  to  the  Ownery  and  as  your  Cargoe  is  larger  than  we 
expected  we  hope  will  be  able  to  Purchase  550  slaves,  and  may 
have  to  spare  ^400  to  lay  out  in  Ivory  which  we  Recommend 
your  Purchasing  From  the  Beginning  of  your  Trade  and  pray 
mind  to  be  very  Choice  in  your  Slaves.  Buy  no  Distemperd 
or  old  Ones,  But  such  as  will  answer  at  the  Place  of  Sale  and 
stand  the  Passage  and  as  Callebar  is  Remarkable  for  great 
Mortality  in  Slaves  we  Desire  you  may  take  every  Prudent 


HOW  IT  ORIGINATED  AND  THRIVED.  487 

Method  to  Prevent  it,  viz. — not  to  keep  your  Ship  to  Close 
in  the  Day  time  and  at  Night  to  keep  the  Ports  shut  as  the 
night  Air  is  very  Pernicious.      The   Privilege   we   allow  you 
is  as  Follows  :  yourself  ten  Slaves,  your  first  mate  Two,  and 
your  Doctor  Two,  which  is  all  we  allow  except  two  or  three 
Hundred  wt.    of  screveloes    amongst   your   Officers,   but    no 
Teeth,  which  you  will  take  care  to  Observe,  as  we  will  not 
allow  any  thing  more.     When  Finished  at  Callebar  you  are  to 
make  the  Best  of  your  way  For  Barbadoes,  where  you  will 
Find  Letters  Lodged  For  you  at  the  House  of  Messrs.  Wood 
&  Nicholas,  how  you  are  to  Proceed  which  will  be  to  Guada- 
loupe    or    Martinico    or   any  other  of  the    Leeward    Islands, 
whichever  is   the  best   Markett  which  you   may  advise  with 
the  House  of  Messrs.  Wood  &  Nicholas  unto  which  place  to 
Proceed,  or  any  other  Person  you  Can  Confide  in.     We  expect 
your  Cargoe  of  Slaves  will  be  taken  up  at  £       *stg  *$  Head, 
and   what  more   they  sell  For  to  be  For  the  Benefitt  of  the 
Owners  and  to  have  the  Ship  Loaden  in  the  Following  Manner 
viz  :    about   One   Hundred  Casks  good  Mus0'  Sugar  for  the 
Ground   Tier,  the    Remainder  with    First   and    Second   white 
Sugars,   and   Betwixt   Decks  with  good  Cotton  and    Coffee, 
and  the  Remainder  of  the  neat  Proceeds  in  Good  Bills  of  Ex- 
change at  as  short  Dates  as  you  can.      If  the  aforementioned 
Prices  cannot  be  obtaind  For  your  Slaves  at  either  Guadaloupe 
or  Martinico,   or  the  Leeward  Islands  as  aforesaid  we  then 
desire  as  little  time  may  be  Lost  as  Possible,  but  proceed  for 
Jamaica  and  on  your  arrivall  there  apply  to  Messrs.  Cuthbert 
&  Beans,  Messrs.  Hibberts,  Messrs.  Gwyn  and  Case,  or  any 
other   House  you    think  will  do  best  for  the   Concern,  unto 
whom  Deliver  your  Cargoe  of  Slaves  which  you  think  will 
make  the  Most  of  them,  if  Possible,  by  a  Country  Sale  and 
to  have  your  agreement  in  writing  and  the  Ship  Loaden  in  the 
Following  Manner  ;  as  much  Broad  Sound  Mahogany  as  will 
serve  for  Dunnage,  the  Hold  filld  with  the  very  Best  Mus° 
Sugar  and  Ginger  and  Betwixt  Decks  with  good  Cotton  and 
Pimento  and  about  Ten  Puncheons  Rum,  the  Remainder  of  the 
*  Obliterated. 


488  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLAVE  TRADE. 

neat  Proceeds  of  your  Cargoe  in  Bills  of  Exchange  at  as  short 
Dates  as  you  can  get  them.  The  House  you  are  to  sit  down 
with  must  Fournish  you  with  what  money  you  may  want  for 
Payment  of  wages  and  other  necessary  Disbursements  of  your 
ship  which  we  recommend  the  utmost  Frugality.  In  annexd 
you  have  invoice  of  Slops  for  the  use  of  the  seamen  and 
apprentices.  What  the  seamen  have  you  must  lay  an 
advance  on  to  pay  Interest  of  Money,  &c.  The  Apprentices 
only  Prime  cost.  We  recommend  your  keeping  Good  Rules 
and  good  Harmony  amongst  your  Crew  and  a  good  watch, 
Particularly  whilst  you  have  any  Slaves  on  Board,  and  Guard 
against  accidents  of  Fire,  Particularly  in  Time  of  Action. 
Suffer  no  Cartridges  to  be  Handed  out  of  the  Magazine 
without  Boxes,  which  will  Prevent  any  Powder  being  sprinkled 
on  the  Deck  and  in  Case  of  your  Mortality  (which  God  Forbid) 
your  First  Mate,  Mr.  Chapman  must  succeed  you  in  command. 
Pray  mind  to  embrace  every  opportunity  that  Offers  advising 
us  of  your  Proceedings,  For  our  Government  as  to  Insurance 
&c.  We  wish  you  a  Prosperous  Voyage  and  Safe  Return  and 
are  your  assured  friends. 

CROSBIES  &  TRAFFORD  CHAS.  GOORE 

WM  ROWE  WILLM  BOATS 

ROBERT  GREEN  CHAS  LOWNDES 

THOS.  KELLY 

P.S.   You  and  your  officers'  slaves 
are  to  be  equal  Qy  Male  and  Female." 

The  following  letter,  dated  Barbadoes,  February  28th, 
1758,  was  written  by  Captain  Joseph  Harrison,  commander 
of  the  slave-ship  Rainbow,  to  his  owners,  Messrs.  Thomas 
Rumbold  &  Co.,  of  Liverpool  : — 

"  We  arrived  here  on  the  25th  inst.  in  company  with  Capt. 
Perkins  from  Bonny,  and  Capt.  Forde  from  Angola,  whom  we 
fell  in  with  at  St.  Thomas's.  The  packet  arrived  here  from 
England  the  day  after  us.  I  expect  to  sail  from  hence  for 
South  Carolina  in  five  days,  having  on  board  225  slaves,  all  in 
good  health  except  eight.  On  the  23rd  of  June  last,  I  had  the 


HOW  IT  ORIGINATED  AND  THRIVED.  489 

misfortune  to  fall  in  with  a  French  brig-  privateer,  of  fourteen 
6-pounders,  to  leeward  of  Popo.  We  engaged  him  four  hours, 
and  were  so  near  for  above  four  glasses,  that  I  expected  every 
moment  we  should  run  on  board  him,  as  he  had  shot  away  all 
my  running  rigging  and  the  fluke  of  my  small  bow  anchor. 
My  standing  rigging  and  sails  were  mostly  cut  to  pieces,  and 
the  privateer  was  in  a  little  better  condition.  Fifteen  of  his 
shot  went  through  and  through  my  sides,  we  being  scarce  the 
length  of  the  ship  from  one  another.  I  lost  in  the  engagement, 
my  boatswain  —  William  Jackson  —  Robert  Williams — and 
Henry  Williams.  My  first  and  second  mates,  three  landsmen, 
and  one  servant  were  wounded.  The  privateer  being  well 
satisfied  sheered  off.  We  were  three  days  in  repairing  our 
rigging,  &c.,  and  on  the  28th  got  over  the  Bar  of  Benin  and 
found  only  one  vessel  there,  viz.  a  Portuguese  sloop  at  Warree. 
I  purchased  eight  slaves  on  the  windward  coast,  and  261  at 
Benin,  besides  5400  weight  of  ivory.  Leaving  the  river, 
Nov.  gth,  we  arrived  at  St.  Thomas's  Dec.  xyth,  from  whence 
our  three  vessels  sailed,  Jan.  4th.  I  have  buried  all  my 
officers,  except  my  first  and  third  mates  and  gunner.  Having 
lost  since  left  Liverpool,  25  white  people  and  44  negroes. 
The  negroes  rose  on  us  after  we  left  St.  Thomas's  ;  they  killed 
my  linguister  whom  I  got  at  Benin,  and  we  then  secured  them 
without  farther  loss.  We  have  an  account  of  five  privateers 
being  to  windward  of  Barbadoes,  by  a  retaken  vessel  brought 
in  here  this  day,  so  that  we  shall  run  a  great  risk  when  we 
leave  Barbadoes." 

Writing  on  board  the  French  64-gun  ship  Fortune,  at 
Isle  Grand,  on  the  coast  of  Brazil,  on  the  2yth  of  June,  1758, 
Captain  William  Creevey  gives  the  owners  of  the  slave 
ship  Betty  a  pathetic  account  of  the  capture  of  that  vessel 
on  her  voyage  to  Gambia,  and  of  his  own  misfortunes. 
Captain  Creevey  was  the  father  of  T.  Creevey,  Esq.,  M.P., 
and  resided  in  School  Lane  : — 

"Pursuant  to  your  several   orders,    I   sailed  from   Ports- 
mouth under  convoy  of  his  Majesty's  ships  Warwick,  Nassari, 


490  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 

Ray,  and  Swan,  bound  to  Africa  ;  about  five  leagues  S.S.E. 
from  Plymouth,  the  wind  flew  out  at  N.  and  began  to  blow, 
which  made  the  King's  Ships  to  out  carry  the  merchantmen, 
and  they  got  in  shore,  whilst  I  with  several  others  were  left 
about  five  leagues  to  the  southward,  after  beating  to  windward 
there  all  day,  my  people  greatly  fatigued,  night  coming  on, 
and  no  possibility  of  getting  into  any  harbour  on  the  coast  of 
England,  and  knowing  I  was  more  exposed  to  the  enemy's 
cruizers  that  might  happen  to  be  beating  in  the  channel,  than 
I  should  be  in  running  to  the  Southward  ;  therefore,  with  the 
approbation  of  my  officers,  I  took  the  opportunity  of  the  night 
and  made  what  sail  I  could,  leaving  Ushant  about  twelve 
leagues  to  the  eastward.  The  gale  continued,  and  I  got  clear 
of  the  Bay  of  Biscay  without  being  spoke  to  by  any  ship  except 
the  Antelope  privateer  of  London,  and  one  of  our  comrades 
that  had  parted  with  the  fleet.  After  we  had  got  as  far  as 
Lat.  39  and  Long.  17  and  thought  that  we  were  entirely  out  of 
danger,  to  my  inexpressible  mortification  we  fell  in  with  a 
fleet  of  French  Indiamen  outward  bound,  escorted  by  the 
Fortune  of  64  guns,  and  630  men.  We  were  taken  by  one  of 
their  best  sailing  frigates,  who  sunk  your  Snow  Betty,  with  the 
greatest  part  of  her  cargo.  The  prisoners  were  distributed 
into  different  ships.  It  fell  to  my  lot  to  go  on  board  the  Com- 
modore, where  I  have  been  treated  with  great  humanity  and 
politeness,  but  must  leave  you  to  judge  of  the  shocking 
prospect  that's  before  me,  in  being  carried  to  the  Indies, 
where  I  have  neither  money  nor  credit,  and  where  there  has 
been  such  acts  of  cruelty  committed  to  prisoners.  All  this  I 
must  submit  to,  it  being  the  unhappy  event  of  war,  in  which 
I  have  been  very  unfortunate,  to  be  twice  taken  in  less  than 
twelve  months.  When,  how,  or  whether  I  shall  return  to  thank 
you  for  the  confidence  and  trust  you  reposed  in  me,  is  only  known 
to  that  all  wise  and  merciful  God,  who  hears  the  distressed 
cries  of  the  unfortunate  prisoners,  in  the  remotest  parts  of  the 
earth;  and  I  hope  in  his  good  time,  will  return  me  to  the  British 
shore,  there  to  partake  of  those  inestimable  blessings  of  liberty 
and  religion,  which  I  am  at  present  entirely  deprived  of." 


HOW  IT  ORIGINATED  AND  THRIVED.  491 

The  Molly,  Captain  Timothy  Wheelwright,  from  the 
Windward  and  Gold  Coast  of  Africa,  was  taken  by  the 
French  in  the  middle  passage.  The  Frenchman  took  the 
slaves  out  of  the  Molly  and  carried  them  to  St.  Domingo. 
The  vessel  was  afterwards  retaken  and  carried  into  Jamaica. 

The  Hazard,  Captain  W.  Parkinson,  with  411  slaves 
from  Africa,  had  an  engagement  on  the  28th  of  November, 
1758,  with  a  privateer  sloop  of  12  four-pounders,  and  full  of 
men,  who  soon  sheered  off.  The  next  day  he  was  attacked 
furiously  by  another  privateer,  of  8  six-pounders  and  4 
four-pounders,  for  above  five  hours,  who  made  several 
attempts  to  board  him,  but  having  only  his  topsails  set  and 
being  prepared,  he  gave  her  such  a  reception  as  made  them 
alter  her  course.  He  had  onlv  one  man  wounded,  and 
himself  a  little  scratched.  His  people  behaved  well,  and 
the  next  day  they  arrived  at  St.  Kitts. 

The  Achilles,  Captain  Chr.  Carus,  with  325  slaves  on 
board,  was  taken  and  carried  into  Guadaloupe,  by  a  sloop 
and  a  schooner  privateer.  Captain  Carus  bravely  defended 
himself  for  some  time,  but  during  the  engagement  one  of 
his  four-pounders  (which  had  been  bored  into  a  six-pounder 
before  he  left  Liverpool)  burst,  killed  his  third  mate,  and 
wounded  seven  or  eight  of  his  crew.  The  Frenchmen 
wrecked  the  Achilles  on  some  rocks  going  into  the  harbour, 
but  landed  the  slaves  and  prisoners  safe.  Captain  Carus 
died  on  board  the  Hazard  on  his  passage  home. 

Early  in  1759,  the  Hector,  Captain  Lievsey,  of  14  six- 
pounders,  and  37  men,  arrived  at  St.  Kitts  with  365  slaves. 
When  off  Deseada  she  fell  in  with  a  French  privateer  brig, 
of  4  nine-pounders  and  12  six-pounders,  with  270  men  on 
board,  with  whom  she  had  a  very  close  and  smart  engage- 
ment for  four  hours  and-a-half.  Captain  Lievsey's  men 
quitted  their  quarters  three  different  times,  but  he  and  his 
officers  bravely  rallied  them,  and  obliged  the  privateer  to 
sheer  off.  During  the  engagement  he  had  four  men 


492  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 

wounded,  and  three  negroes  killed  ;  the  French  suffered 
much,  and  the  action  was  deemed  one  of  the  bravest  fought 
in  the  West  Indies  during  the  war. 

Captain  Linnecar  brought  to  Liverpool  the  melancholy 
news  of  the  loss  of  the  Perfect,  Captain  Potter,  at  Mana. 
He  had  purchased  over  100  slaves,  who  rose  upon  him, 
killed  all  the  crew  on  board,  and  run  the  ship  on  shore. 
Luckily,  the  mate  and  three  or  four  of  the  seamen  were  on 
shore  with  the  boat,  and  saved  themselves.  Further  details 
came  to  hand  in  a  letter  from  Mr.  Henry  Harrison,  to  his 
relations  in  Liverpool,  dated  Plantains,  on  the  coast  of 
Africa,  April  23rd,  1759: — 

"  On  the  1 2th  of  January,  we  had  the  misfortune  to  be  cut 
off  by  the  negroes  ;  they  killed  Captain  Potter,  our  surgeon, 
carpenter,  cooper,  and  James  Steward,  a  boy.  Luckily,  the 
captain  had  sent  me  on  shore  that'morning  to  go  to  the  King's 
town,  about  ten  miles  up  the  river,  to  fetch  slaves  down  ;  but 
before  I  reached  the  town,  met  two  of  his  servants  bringing  a 
slave  down  ;  returned  with  them  ;  made  a  smoke  on  the  shore 
as  a  signal  for  our  boat,  but  before  had  well  made  it,  saw  her 
put  off  from  the  vessel  with  six  of  our  people  in  her,  being1  all 
left  alive  on  board.  I  swam  off  to  her  and  we  rowed  for  the 
Spencer,  Captain  Daniel  Cooke,  then  lying  at  Cape  Mount.  At 
one  o'clock  that  night,  Captain  Cooke  got  under  way,  and 
made  sail  in  order  to  attempt  to  recover  our  vessel ;  at  day- 
light, finding  her  at  anchor,  he  fired  his  g-uns  into  her  for  about 
an  hour,  but  I  could  not  persuade  him  to  board  her.  That 
evening"  the  slaves  run  the  snow  on  shore.  We  had  purchased 
103  slaves,  and  had  a  pledge  for  two  more  on  board.  The 
slaves  and  natives  would  not  give  us  the  least  article  of  wearing 
apparel.  When  this  fatal  accident  happened,  our  chief  mate 
was- gone  with  the  yawl  to  windward,  and  the  boatswain  with 
the  long  boat  to  leeward  to  purchase  slaves.  Mr.  Eaton  and 
the  boatswain  got  on  board  Captain  Nichols,  and  I  heard 
that  they  saved  15  or  16  slaves  that  were  due  to  us  on  shore, 
and  left  Mana,  Mar.  30,  designed  for  the  West  Indies.  I  am 


HOW  IT  ORIGINATED  AND  THRIVED.  493 

now  got  moved  to  the  brig-  Industry,  Captain  Banks,  and  we 
intend  to  sail  for  Antigua  to-morrow,  having  122  slaves,  all  in 
good  health,  on  board.  They  have  buried  Richard  Worthing- 
ton  and  three  more  of  their  people." 

On  the  nth  of  August,  1759,  about  70  leagues  to  the 
eastward  of  Antigua,  the  snow  Mac,  Captain  Edward 
Cropper,  on  her  passage  from  Benin,  with  232  slaves,  3  tons 
of  ivory,  a  parcel  of  screveloes,  and  some  gold,  was  attacked 
by  the  Mars  privateer  brig,  of  14  carriage  guns,  20  swivels, 
and  90  men.  After  an  engagement  of  an  hour  and-a-half, 
Captain  Cropper  was  obliged  to  strike,  he  having  only  six 
white  men  able  to  stand  the  decks,  the  rest  being  all  sick 
or  dead.  The  Mac  was  carried  into  Martinico,  and  the 
prisoners  sent  in  a  cartel  to  Antigua.  Captain  Cropper 
came  home  passenger  in  the  Prussian  Hero,  Captain 
Kevish. 

On  the  25th  of  July,  1759,  the  brig  Betsey,  Captain  Jones, 
sailed  from  Liverpool  for  Africa,  and  on  the  I4th  of  August, 
was  taken,  after  a  chase  of  three  days,   by  the  Marquis  de 
farvis,    French  schooner  privateer,    Monsieur  de  Schoye, 
commander,   mounting  10  carriage    guns,    16  swivels,  and 
100  men,  and  carried  to  Bayonne.     On  the  ist  of  September, 
in  the  night,  William  Peel,  the  cook,  and  six  others  of  the 
crew,  broke  out  of  prison,  seized  a  large  fishing  boat,  bound 
the  five  occupants,  laid  them  at  the  bottom   of  the  boat, 
and  put  to  sea.     On  the  3rd,  seeing  a  sail,  they  put  up  a 
handkerchief  at  the  masthead,  as  a  signal  of  distress.     The 
vessel,  which  happened  to  be  British,  bore  down,  and  took 
them  on  board,  the  Frenchmen  and  their  boat  being  liber- 
ated.    They  were  landed  at  Londonderry,  and  travelled  to 
Carrickfergus,  where  they  met  Captain  Hutchinson,  of  the 
cod  smack — our  old  privateering  friend — who   gave   them 
their  passage  to  Liverpool. 

The  doctor  of  the  ship  Glory,  Captain  Thomas  Chalmers, 
writing  from  Papau,  on  the  coast  of  Africa,  on  August  i8th, 


494  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLAVE  TRADE. 

1759,  says  : — "I  left  the  ship  at  Cape  Coast,  and  came  down 
here  to  purchase  26  slaves,  but  am  afraid  we  shall  be  at 
Whydaw  5  or  6  months  before  we  can  purchase  540,  owing 
to  the  high  prices,  which  our  captain  is  determined  to  beat 
down,  otherwise  we  might  get  off  the  coast  in  2  months." 

The  Knight,  Captain  Jenkinson,  left  the  coast  of  Africa 
for  Jamaica,  with  390  slaves,  a  ton  of  ivory,  and  90  ounces 
of  gold  dust  on  board. 

The  black  prince,  Accra,  was  a  passenger  on  board  the 
Spy,  Captain  Creevey,  on  her  voyage  from  Liverpool  to  the 
coast  of  Africa  to  purchase  slaves,  and  was  safely  landed. 

On  the  2ist  of  March,  1760,  the  slave-ship,  Francis,  of 
1 8  guns,  Captain  Thomas  Onslow,  was  wrecked  on  the 
island  Fuerteventura,  one  of  the  Canary  Islands,  on  her 
passage  from  Liverpool  to  Africa,  23,  out  of  a  crew  of  58, 
being  drowned.  The  misfortune  happened  for  want  of  a 
look-out,  the  second  mate  being  asleep  on  the  deck  during 
his  watch,  when  the  helmsman  called  out,  "  land  ahead." 

On  the  30th  of  July,  1763,  the  Charlotte,  Captain  Lowndes, 
for  Africa,  was  blown  up  at  the  Magazines,  and  only  one 
man  saved. 

The  peace  of  1763  gave  a  great  impulse  to  the  trade  of 
Liverpool,  and  two  years  later,  we  find  the  number  of  slave- 
ships  clearing  for  the  coast  had  increased  to  83,  with  a 
tonnage  of  9,382,  carrying  24,200  slaves. 

So  great  was  the  success  of  Liverpool  in  the  hideous 
traffic,  that  the  ports  of  London  and  Bristol  began  to  feel  an 
abatement  of  their  accustomed  exports  in  proportion  as 
those  of  Liverpool  increased.  Bristol,  in  particular,  found 
her  demand  of  slaves  for  the  plantations  rapidly  decrease, 
insomuch  that,  in  the  year  1764,  she  cleared  out  only  32 
vessels  for  Africa,  while  Liverpool  cleared  74.*  To  such  a 


*  In  the  year  1764,  the  number  of  ships  cleared  to  Africa  from  Liverpool  directly 
was  74  ;  from  liristol  32  ;  the  number  cleared  to  America  from  Liverpool  was  141, 
against  105  from  Bristol.  There  entered  the  Port  of  Liverpool  in  the  same  year,  7 


HOW  IT  ORIGINATED  AND  THRIVED.  495 

height  had  the  African  trade  of  Liverpool  advanced  at  this 
period,  that  more  than  one-fourth  of  the  entire  shipping 
belonging  to  the  port  consisted  of  Guineamen,  and  more 
than  one-half  of  the  African  trade  of  the  whole  kingdom  was 
in  the  hands  of  Liverpool  merchants.  Thus  we  behold  the 
remarkable  commercial  phenomenon  of  Bristol,  a  wealthy 
city,  which  had  apparently  established  a  lucrative  branch  of 
trade  and  enjoyed  a  long  experience  of  foreign  commerce, 
being  gradually  ousted  from  its  position  by  the  energetic 
policy  and  enterprise  of  a  port  that,  at  the  beginning  of 
the  eighteenth  century,  was  not  only  situated  on  the 
utmost  verge  of  commercial  activity,  but  without  sufficient 
capital  to  support  a  vessel  of  30  tons  in  the  same  trade. 
While  the  vending  of  human  beings  was  thus  in  the  full 
tide  of  prosperity,  to  the  great  delectation  and  enrichment 
of  Liverpool,  Manchester,  Birmingham,  Sheffield,  and 
other  centres  of  industry  that  supplied  the  requisite  wares 
for  a  Guinea  voyage,  no  warning  voice  on  earth,  except  the 
feeble  wail  of  a  few  obscure  Quakers,  had  as  yet  been 
raised  against  the  great  iniquity,  though  many  accusing 
spirits  had  doubtless  flown  up  to  heaven's  chancery  with 
an  ever-swelling  indictment. 

During  the  period  which  we  have  just  passed  over,  there 
was  connected  with  the  Liverpool  slave  trade  one  of  the 
most  extraordinary  characters  of  the  eighteenth  century. 
We  mean  John  Newton,  afterwards  the  celebrated  rector  of 
St.  Mary  Woolnoth,  who,  in  1752-54,  commanded  the 
slave-ships  Duke  of  A  rgyle  and  the  African,  belonging  to 
Mr.  Joseph  Manesty.  To  the  story  of  his  strange  and 
adventurous  career  we  devote  the  next  chapter. 


vessels  from  Africa  and  188  from  America,  against  137  entering  Bristol  from 
America,  and  none  from  Africa  direct.  Liveipool  had  inwards  766  ships ; 
Bristol,  332.  Liverpool  had  outwards  832  ships  ;  Bristol,  343. 


496 


CHAPTER  II. 
CAPTAIN  JOHN  NEWTON. 

JOHN  NEWTON  was  born  in  London  on  the  24th  of  July, 
1725  (O.S.).  His  mother  died  when  he  was  seven  years  old, 
and  with  her  died  the  pious  teaching-  which  was  intended  to 
prepare  him  for  the  ministry.  After  two  years  spent  at  a 
boarding  school  in  Essex,  he  made  several  voyages  with 
his  father,  a  stern  sea  captain  in  the  Mediterranean  trade, 
who,  having  been  educated  himself  at  a  Jesuit  college  in 
Spain,  found  a  situation  for  his  son  at  Alicant.  The  youth's 
unsettled  behaviour  and  impatience  of  restraint,  necessitated 
his  removal  after  a  few  months  trial.  Before  he  was  sixteen 
years  of  age,  he  had  taken  up  a  religious  profession  three 
or  four  times,  his  condition  alternating  between  asceticism 
and  the  most  horrid  profanity,  as  the  mood  took  him. 
After  two  years  of  strict  Pharisaism,  he  met  with  Lord 
Shaftesbury's  "Characteristics,"  and  the  fine  words  of  "The 
Rhapsody"  beguiled  his  heart  and  operated  like  slow  poison. 
In  1742,  Mr.  Manesty,  a  merchant  in  Liverpool  and  a  friend 
of  his  father's,  offered  to  send  young  Newton  to  Jamaica, 
and  take  care  of  his  future  welfare.  John  was  well  pleased, 
and  everything  was  prepared  for  his  voyage.  He  was  upon 
the  point  of  setting  out  the  following  week,  when  his  father 
sent  him  to  visit  his  relations  in  Kent  for  a  few  days.  Here 
he  met  Mary  Catlett,  a  young  lady  not  quite  fourteen,  who 
had  been  designed  from  her  birth,  by  his  mother  and  her 
mother,  as  his  future  wife.  Being  profoundly  ignorant  of 


CAPTAIN  JOHN  NEWTON,  497 

this  little  matrimonial  arrangement,  Newton  fell  madly  in 
love  with  the  girl.  He  preferred  a  treasure  in  Kent  to  a 
fortune  in  Jamaica,  stayed  three  weeks  instead  of  three  days, 
missed  his  passage,  and  encountered  his  father's  wrath. 
Soon  after  this  he  made  a  voyage  to  Venice  as  a  common 
sailor,  and  fell  a  prey  to  evil  companionship.  A  remarkable 
dream  startled  his  conscience  about  this  time,  but  the 
impression  soon  faded  away.  In  December,  1743,  he  visited 
his  friends  in  Kent,  and  again,  for  love  of  Mary  Catlett, 
frustrated  his  father's  plans  on  his  behalf.  His  thoughtless 
conduct  at  length  led  him  into  the  meshes  of  the  press- 
gang,  and  he  found  himself  on  board  the  Harwich  man-of- 
war,  at  the  Nore.  War  being  daily  expected,  there  was  no 
hope  of  release.  After  a  month's  hardship  he  was,  by 
his  father's  influence,  taken  upon  the  quarter-deck  as  a 
midshipman.  Here,  with  his  foot  on  the  lowest  rung  of 
the  naval  ladder,  he  might  have  aspired  to  high  command, 
for  he  had  in  him  the  stuff  which  makes  British  admirals. 
Providence,  however,  had  not  raised  John  Newton  to  be 
either  a  martyred  Byng,  or  an  idolised  Nelson.  He  fell 
under  the  influence  of  a  zealous  atheist,  who  completed  the 
ruin  of  his  principles — no  difficult  task, — for  the  youth,  while 
talking  of  virtue,  delighted  in  all  manner  of  wickedness. 

In  December,  1744,  the  Harwich  was  in  the  Downs, 
bound  to  the  East  Indies.  Newton  got  a  day's  leave,  took 
horse  and  rode  off  to  see  his  Mary,  with  the  usual  result. 
He  overstayed  his  leave,  and  forfeited  the  favour  of  the 
captain,  who  had  overlooked  such  pranks  more  than  once. 
The  vessel  having  put  into  Plymouth  through  stress  of 
weather,  Newton  heard  that  his  father  was  at  Torbay,  and 
determined  to  desert  in  order  to  get  into  the  African  employ 
through  his  influence,  a  short  Guinea  voyage  being  pre- 
ferable to  five  years  in  the  East  Indies,  from  a  lover's  point 
of  view.  "  I  was  sent  one  day  in  the  boat,"  he  says,  "to 

take  care  that  none  of  the  people  deserted,  but  I  betrayed 
21 


498  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 

my  trust,  and  went  off  myself."  In  a  day  or  two  he  was 
caught  on  the  road  to  Dartmouth  by  a  party  of  soldiers, 
marched  through  the  streets  of  .Plymouth  guarded  like  a 
felon,  his  heart  full  of  rage,  shame  and  fear.  After  two  days' 
confinement  in  the  guard-house,  he  was  sent  on  board  the 
Harwich,  kept  awhile  in  irons,  then  publicly  stripped, 
whipped  and  degraded.  Thus  was  the  proud,  head-strong 
and  profane  Mr.  Midshipman  Newton  brought  down  to  a 
level  with  the  lowest,  and  exposed  to  the  insults  of  all. 
Who,  outside  of  the  counsels  of  eternity,  would  have  been 
bold  enough  to  prophecy  that  this  disgraced  deserter  was 
destined  to  be  the  famous  rector  of  St.  Mary  Woolnoth,  the 
friend  of  the  gentle  and  pious  Cowper,  the  joint  author  of 
the  "  Olney  Hymns,"  the  spiritual  father  and  teacher  of 
Thomas  Scott,  the  commentator,  and  one  of  the  most 
remarkable  Englishmen  that  ever  lived.  The  mere  sug- 
gestion of  such  a  destiny  would  have  been  received  with 
derision  by  the  whole  ship's  company,  and  most  of  all  by 
Newton  himself.  His  condition  was  now  pitiable.  The  ship 
sailed,  the  captain  was  implacable,  and  the  culprit,  friendless, 
tabooed,  exposed  every  hour  to  some  new  insult  and  hard- 
ship, his  breast  torn  by  conflicting  passions,  eager  desire, 
rage  and  despair,  watched  the  receding  coast  of  England 
with  imense  wistfulness  and  regret.  When  the  last  dim  line 
had  faded  from  his  view,  he  was  tempted  to  throw  himself 
into  the  sea.  "But,"  he  says,  "the  secret  hand  of  God 
restrained  me."  On  the  passage  to  Madeira,  he  was  a  prey 
to  the  most  gloomy  thoughts,  and,  by  brooding  over  his 
imaginary  wrongs,  he  came  at  last  to  form  designs  against 
the  captain's  life.  Fortunately,  his  love  for  Mary  Catlett 
acted  as  a  strong  cable  to  hold  him  from  plunging  into  a 
terrible  abyss.  She  had  not  yet  accepted  him  as  her  affianced 
lover,  but  he  could  not  bear  that  she  should  think  meanly 
of  him  when  he  was  dead.  When  the  Harwich  arrived  at 
Madeira,  Newton,  through  the  intercession  of  the  lieutenants, 


CA PTAIN  JOHN  NE  WTON.  499 

was  allowed  to  exchange  into  a  Guineaman,  bound  to  Sierra 
Leone.  The  captain,  who  happened  to  be  acquainted  with 
the  elder  Newton,  received  the  son  kindly,  but  the  youth 
soon  gave  free  rein  to  his  evil  passions,  lampooned  his 
benefactor,  and  made  it  his  study  to  corrupt  ethers.  "Let 
it  be  buried  in  eternal  silence,"  he  says,  of  this  part  of  his 
career.  Six  months  later  the  captain  died,  and  Newton, 
fearing  his  successor  would  put  him  on  board  a  man-of-war, 
entered  the  service  of  a  trader  on  board,  who  was  returning 
from  a  visit  to  England.  Hoping  to  rise,  as  this  man  had 
done,  from  poverty  to  riches,  by  purchasing  slaves  in  the 
rivers  and  selling  them  to  the  ships,  Newton  omitted  to 
make  a  proper  agreement  for  wages,  trusting  to  his  master's 
generosity.  The  consequence  was,  that  when  he  landed 
upon  one  of  the  Banana  Islands,  with  little  more  than  the 
clothes  upon  his  back,  there  began  for  him  a  period  of 
virtual  slavery — of  unspeakable  degradation  and  misery.  It 
looked  as  if  Providence,  in  its  mercy,  had  almost  banished 
him  from  human  society  at  a  time  when  he  seemed  like  one 
infected  with  a  pestilence,  capable  of  spreading  a  taint 
wherever  he  went.  He  soon  fell  too  low  to  have  any 
influence  even  for  evil.  "I  was  rather  shunned  and  despised 
than  imitated,"  he  says,  "there  being  few  even  of  the 
negroes  themselves,  during  the  first  year  of  my  residence 
among  them,  but  thought  themselves  too  good  to  speak  to 
me.  I  was  as  yet  an  'outcast  lying  in  my  blood,'  and  to  all 
appearances  exposed  to  perish." 

His  new  master,  who  had  formerly  resided  near  Cape 
Mount,  now  settled  at  the  Plantains,  upon  a  low,  sandy 
island,  about  two  miles  in  circumference,  and  almost  covered 
with  palm  trees.  They  built  a  house  and  entered  on  trade, 
and  as  Newton  was  inclined  to  be  diligent,  he  might  have 
done  well  with  his  employer.  Unfortunately,  the  trader 
was  under  the  influence  of  a  black  woman,  who  lived  with 
him  as  his  wife.  She  was  a  person  of  some  consequence 


500  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 

in  her  own  country,  and  he  owed  his  first  rise  to  her  interest. 
This  woman  took  a  dislike  to  Newton  from  the  first.  He 
had  a  severe  fit  of  illness,  and  his.  master,  before  sailing  in  a 
shallop  to  Rio  Nuna,  left  him  in  her  hands.  As  he  did  not 
recover  soon  enough,  she  grew  weary,  neglected  him,  and 
led  him  the  life  of  a  dog.  He  could  scarcely  procure  a 
draught  of  cold  water  when  burning  with  fever,  his  bed 
was  a  mat  spread  on  a  board,  his  pillow  a  log  of  wood. 
When  the  fever  subsided,  he  was  left  almost  to  starve, 
though  the  black  woman  kept  a  good  table,  much  in  the 
European  style.  Occasionally,  when  in  high  good  humour, 
she  would  send  him  victuals  in  her  own  plate  after  she  had 
dined,  and  these,  so  greatly  was  his  pride  humbled,  he 
greedily  devoured.  Once,  when  called  to  receive  this  bounty 
from  her  own  hands,  he,  from  extreme  feebleness,  dropped 
the  plate  and  lost  his  dinner.  The  table  was  covered  with 
dishes,  but  the  black  woman  cruelly  laughed  at  his  dis- 
appointment, and  would  give  him  no  more.  So  great  was 
his  distress  at  times,  that,  at  the  risk  of  being  punished  as  a 
thief,  he  went  by  night  into  the  plantation  to  pull  up  roots, 
which  he  ate  raw  upon  the  spot,  in  fear  and  trembling,  but 
which  seldom  missed  to  act  like  tartar  emetic.  He  was  some- 
times relieved  by  strangers,  and  even  the  slaves  in  the  chain 
secretly  brought  victuals  from  their  own  slender  pittance, 
to  keep  the  future  slave-captain  from  starvation  !  But  to 
pressing  want  were  added  scorn  and  contempt,  almost 
harder  to  bear.  When  he  was  slowly  recovering,  the  black 
woman  came  with  her  attendants  to  mock,  revile,  and 
torment  him.  She  called  him  worthless  and  indolent, 
compelled  him  to  walk,  set  her  servants  to  mimic  his 
motions,  to  clap  their  hands,  laugh,  and  pelt  him  with 
limes,  or  occasionally  with  stones.  When  she  was  out  of 
sight,  however,  he  was  "rather  pitied  than  scorned  by  the 
meanest  of  her  slaves."  When  his  master  returned,  he  com- 
plained of  ill-usage,  but  was  not  believed.  He  accompanied 


CA  PTA  IN  JOHN  NE  WTON.  50 1 

the  factor  in  his  next  voyage,  and  did  pretty  well  for 
a  while,  till  a  brother  trader  persuaded  his  master  that  he 
stole  his  goods  in  the  night,  or  when  he  was  on  shore.  \ 
This,  as  he  tells  us,  was  about  the  only  vice  of  which  he 
was  not  guilty,  but  the  charge  was  believed,  and  Newton 
condemned  without  evidence.  Hard  usage  followed.  He 
was  locked  upon  deck,  with  a  pint  of  rice  for  his  day's 
allowance.  He  kept  himself  from  starvation,  by  catching 
an  occasional  fish  at  slack  water,  his  master  allowing  him 
the  entrails  of  fowls  to  bait  his  hook  with.  His  joy  at 
seeing  a  fish  on  his  hook  was  pathetic;  such  a  fish  hastily 
broiled,  or  half  burnt,  without  sauce,  salt,  or  bread,  afforded 
him  a  delicious  meal.  If  he  caught  none,  he  had  to  sleep 
away  his  hunger  till  the  next  return  of  slack  water,  and  then 
try  again.  He  suffered  much  from  the  inclemency  of  the 
weather  and  the  want  of  clothes.  Clad  only  in  a  shirt,  a  pair 
of  trousers,  a  cotton  handkerchief  instead  of  a  cap,  and  a 
cotton  cloth,  about  two  yards  long,  to  supply  the  want  of  upper 
garments,  he  was  exposed  sometimes  for  thirty  or  forty  hours 
to  incessant  rains  and  strong  gales  of  wind,  without  the  least 
shelter;  and  some  of  the  effects  of  such  exposure  after  a  long 
sickness  remained  with  him  for  the  rest  of  his  life,  "as  a 
needful  memento  of  the  service  and  the  wages  of  sin." 

In  about  two  months  they  returned  to  the  Plantains, 
Newton's  haughty  heart  brought  down,  but  not  to  whole- 
some repentance.  His  spirits  were  sunk,  he  lost  all 
resolution,  and  almost  all  reflection.  But  the  tiger  was 
only  sleeping.  It  is  remarkable  that  during  this  period  of 
semi-starvation  and  extreme  wretchedness,  he  often  be- 
guiled his  sorrows  by  devoting  his  mind  to  mathematical 
studies.  He  used  to  take  Barrow's  "Euclid" — the  only 
book  he  had  brought  on  shore — to  remote  corners  of  the 
island,  by  the  seaside,  drawing  his  diagrams  with  a  long 
stick  upon  the  sand.  In  this  manner  he  fairly  mastered  the 
first  six  books  of  "  Euclid." 


502  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 

His  master  and  mistress  one  day  stopped  awhile  to 
watch  him  planting  some  lime  trees,  no  higher  than  a 
young  gooseberry  bush.  "  Who  knows,"  said  the  trader, 
mockingly,  "but  by  the  time  these  trees  grow  up  and 
bear,  you  may  go  home  to  England,  obtain  the  command 
of  a  ship,  and  return  to  reap  the  fruits  of  your  labours. 
We  see  strange  things  sometimes  happen."  What  was 
intended  as  a  cutting  sarcasm,  turned  out  a  true  prediction. 
The  black  woman  lived  to  see  it  fulfilled. 

He  continued  in  this  abject  state  for  about  a  year,  sending 
an  occasional  letter  to  Mary  Catlett,  for  in  his  deepest 
misery  he  clung  to  the  hope  of  seeing  her  again.  When  he 
made  shipwreck  of  faith,  hope,  and  conscience,  his  intense 
love  for  this  girl  was  his  only  religion.  He  wrote  to  his 
father,  at  whose  request  Mr.  Manesty  ordered  one  of  his 
captains  to  search  out  the  prodigal  and  bring  him  home. 
Meanwhile,  the  prodigal  entered  the  employ  of  another 
trader,  who  fed  and  clothed  him  decently,  and  made  him 
joint  manager  of  a  factory  at  Kittam.  Business  flourished ; 
Newton  thought  himself  happy,  and  was  in  some  danger  of 
"  growing  black,"  not  in  colour  but  in  disposition.  While 
the  infatuation  was  growing  upon  him,  and  his  engagements 
with  the  natives  becoming  closer,  he  was  saved  from  him- 
self in  a  remarkable  manner.  One  day  in  February,  1747, 
his  fellow-servant  walking  on  the  beach  saw  a  vessel  sailing 
past  and  made  a  smoke  in  token  of  trade.  She  proved  to 
be  the  very  ship  which  had  orders  to  look  for  Newton,  and 
the  first  words  uttered  by  her  commander  had  reference  to 
that  young  man.  When  the  captain  went  on  shore  to 
deliver  his  message,  he  found  Newton  rather  indifferent  to 
his  proposals. 

The  invitation  which  would  have  been  received  as  life 
from  the  dead  by  the  sick  and  starving  wretch  at  the 
Plantains  a  few  months  before,  fell  flat  on  the  ear  of  the 
comparatively  prosperous  trader,  whose  despair  of  ever 


CA PTA IN  JOHN  NE  WTON.  503 

seeing  England  had  caused  him  to  form  other  plans.  The 
captain,  unwilling  to  lose  him,  lied  on  a  grand  scale,  telling 
Newton  that  a  relative,  lately  deceased,  had  left  him  ^400 
per  annum  ;  that  he  (the  captain)  had  express  orders  to 
redeem  him,  though  it  should  cost  one-half  of  his  cargo. 
Other  embellishments  were  added  by  this  resourceful 
mariner,  but  the  plausible  story  was  only  partially  believed 
by  Newton.  Something  more  powerful  than  the  captain's 
blarney  turned  the  scale.  The  sweet  face  of  Mary  Catlett 
passed  before  him,  fresh  as  a  breeze  from  the  Kentish  hills, 
and  in  less  than  an  hour,  John  Newton,  freed  from  a 
captivity  of  about  fifteen  months,  embarked  as  a  passenger 
on  board  the  Liverpool  ship.  During  a  tedious  trading 
voyage  on  the  coast,  lasting  about  a  year,  he  amused  him- 
self with  mathematics,  and  in  the  invention  of  new  oaths 
and  imprecations.  The  captain,  who  was  no  saint,  at  last 
believed  that  he  had  a  Jonah  on  board — that  a  curse  attended 
his  passenger  wherever  he  went,  and  that  all  the  disasters 
they  met  with  were  owing  to  Newton  being  in  the  ship. 

They  sailed  for  England  in  January,  1748,  and  on  the 
9th  of  March,  eight  days  after  leaving  the  Banks  of  New- 
foundland, a  great  sea  struck  the  vessel,  and  in  a  few 
minutes  reduced  her  to  a  mere  wreck.  Newton  awoke  to 
rind  his  cabin  filled  with  water.  In  making  for  the  deck  he 
was  turned  back  by  the  captain,  who  wanted  a  knife,  and 
this  trifle  saved  his  life,  for  the  man  who  went  up  in  his 
room  was  instantly  washed  overboard.  With  almost  super- 
human exertions  the  ship  was  kept  afloat,  Newton  assisting 
at  the  pumps  and  encouraging  his  companions.  The  2ist 
of  March  was  an  ever  memorable  day  for  him.  "On  that 
day,"  he  says,  "the  Lord  sent  from  on  high,  and  delivered 
me  out  of  the  deep  waters."  Exhausted  with  pumping 
from  three  in  the  morning  till  noon,  he  lay  down,  almost 
indifferent  whether  he  ever  rose  again.  An  hour  later  he 
was  called,  took  the  helm  and  steered  the  ship  till  midnight. 


504  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 

While  thus  employed,  the  whole  course  of  his  past  life  rose 
up  before  him  in  review.  He  reflected  on  his  former  religious 
professions,  the  extraordinary  turns  in  his  life,  the  calls, 
warnings,  and  deliverances,  his"  licentious  conversation, 
and  his  profane  ridicule  of  the  gospel  history,  of  the  truth 
of  which  he  was  not  yet  convinced.  If  true,  there  was  no 
forgiveness  for  him,  and  he  waited  with  fear  and  impatience 
to  receive  his  inevitable  doom.  When  he  heard,  about  six 
in  the  evening,  that  the  ship  was  freed  from  water,  there 
arose  a  gleam  of  hope.  He  saw  the  hand  of  God  displayed 
in  their  favour,  and  began  to  pray.  "  I  could  not  utter  the 
prayer  of  faith,"  he  says  ;  "I  could  not  draw  near  to  a 
reconciled  God,  and  call  Him  father.  My  prayer  was  like 
the  cry  of  the  ravens,  which  yet  the  Lord  does  not  disdain 
to  hear.  I  now  began  to  think  of  that  Jesus  whom  I  had  so 
often  derided."  But  he  was  not  yet  a  believer.  He  wanted 
evidence,  and  especially  an  assurance  of  the  Divine 
inspiration  of  the  Scriptures.  He  soon  found  in  the  New 
Testament  certain  sayings  which  made  him  resolve  for  the 
present  to  take  the  gospel  for  granted,  as  embodying  hope, 
while  on  every  other  side  he  saw  nothing  but  unfathomable 
despair.  Weeks  of  suffering  passed,  the  ship  was  driven 
from  her  course,  the  pumps  were  kept  going  incessantly, 
provisions  were  running  very  short,  starvation,  or  the 
prospect  of  feeding  upon  one  another,  loomed  before  them. 
The  captain,  whose  temper  was  soured  by  distress,  hourly 
reproached  Newton  as  the  sole  cause  of  the  calamity,  and 
believed  that  if  he  were  thrown  overboard  they  should  be 
preserved  from  death.  The  captain  did  not  mean  to  carry 
his  theory  into  practice,  but  Newton  was  very  uneasy,  as 
his  own  conscience  confirmed  the  master's  words.  "I 
thought  it  very  probable,"  he  says,  "that  all  that  had 
befallen  us  was  on  my  account.  I  was,  at  last,  found  out 
by  the  powerful  hand  of  God,  and  condemned  in  my  own 
breast."  Their  last  victuals  were  boiling  in  the  pot  when 


CA  PTA  IN  JOHN  NE  WTON.  505 

they  anchored  in  Lough  Swilly,  and  a  great  storm 
immediately  arose,  which,  had  they  been  at  sea,  would  have 
sent  them  to  the  bottom.  "About  this  time,"  says  Newton, 
"I  began  to  know  that  there  is  a  God  that  hears  and  answers 
prayer."  He  was  no  longer  an  infidel.  He  renounced 
profanity,  and  became  a  changed  man,  though  ignorant  of 
the  spirituality  of  the  hidden  life  of  a  Christian.  While  the 
ship  was  refitting,  he  visited  Londonderry,  went  twice  a  day 
to  church,  received  the  Sacrament,  and  "with  the  greatest 
solemnity  engaged  himself  to  be  the  Lord's  for  ever,  and 
only  his." 

He  arrived  in  Liverpool  in  May,  1748,  and  after  paying 
a  visit  to  Mary  Catlett,  returned  to  Liverpool,  and  sailed 
again  for  Africa,  in  August,  as  mate  of  a  new  slave-ship 
belonging  to  Mr.  Manesty,  who  had  in  fact  offered  him 
the  command.  Soon  after  his  departure  he  relapsed  into 
religious  indifference,  and  by  the  time  they  arrived  in  Guinea 
he  was  almost  as  bad  as  before.  His  business  on  the  coast 
was  to  sail  from  place  to  place  in  the  longboat,  to  purchase 
slaves.  The  ship  was  at  Sierra  Leone,  while  he  was  at  the 
Plantains,  the  scene  of  his  former  captivity.  He  was  now 
in  easy  circumstances,  courted  by  those  who  formerly  des- 
pised him.  The  lime  trees  he  had  planted  were  growing 
tall,  and  promised  fruit  the  following  year,  if  he  should 
return  with  a  ship  of  his  own.  Here  he  was  seized  with  a 
violent  fever.  Weak  and  delirious,  he  crept  to  a  corner  of 
the  island  to  pray.  The  burden  was  removed  from  his  con- 
science, peace  and  health  came  quickly,  and  in  two  days  he 
stepped  on  board  his  ship  perfectly  restored.  This  was  his 
last  great  declension.  He  employed  his  leisure  hours  in 
learning  Latin,  and  under  great  disadvantages  acquired  a 
spice  of  classical  enthusiasm.  Writing  to  a  friend,  in 
March,  1749,  from  the  coast,  he  says  : — 

"Though  we  have  been  here  six  months  I  have  not  been 

ten  days  in  the  ship,  being"  continually  cruising  about  in  the 


506  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 

boats  to  purchase  souls,  for  which  we  are  obliged  to  take  as 
much  pains  as  the  Jesuits  are  said  to  do  in  making  proselytes, 
sometimes  venturing  in  a  little  canoe  through  seas  like  moun- 
tains, sometimes  travelling  through  the  woods,  often  in  danger 
from  the  wild  beasts,  and  much  oftener  from  the  more  wild 
inhabitants,  scorched  by  the  sun  in  the  day,  and  chilled  by  the 
dews  in  the  night." 

Notwithstanding  the  perils  he  passed  through,  he  was 
never  so  happy  in  his  life  as  he  was  now.  Referring  to  the 
eight  months  passed  on  the  coast,  and  to  the  treachery  of 
the  natives,  he  observes:— 

"Several  boats  in   the   same    time   were  cut  off;    several 

white  men  poisoned,  and  in  my  own  boat  I  buried  six  or  seven 

people  with  fevers.       When  going  on  shore,  or  returning  from 

it,  in  their  little  canoes,  I  have  been  more  than  once  or  twice 

overset  by  the  violence  of  the  surf,  or  break  of  the  sea,  and 

brought  to  land  half  dead,  for  I  could  not  swim." 

How  often  must  these  wild  scenes  of  African  adventure 

have  rushed    into   the  mind  of  the  Rev.   John   Newton  in 

after  years,  while  walking  with  his  mild  friend  Mr.  Cowper, 

through  the  peaceful  glades  of  Olney?     With  what  grim 

pleasure  must  the  devil  have  presented  to  the  eye  of  the 

pious   rector  of  St.    Mary  Woolnoth,    some    photographic 

picture  of  his  African  experiences,  while  the  congregation 

sang  one  of  his  own  beautiful  hymns. 

They  sailed  from  Africa  with  their  living  cargo  for 
Antigua,  and  from  thence  proceeded  to  Charleston,  where, 
when  time  permitted,  Newton  prayed  and  sang  hymns  in 
the  woods  by  day,  and  at  night  joined  "vain  and  worthless 
company,"  venturing  on  the  brink  of  temptation.  He 
arrived  in  Liverpool  on  the  6th  of  December,  1749.  In 
February,  1750,  he  was  married  to  Mary  Catlett,  at  St. 
Margaret's  Church,  Chatham,  and  in  the  following  August, 
he  sailed  from  Liverpool  as  commander  of  the  slave-ship 
Duke  of  Argyle,  150  tons  burthen,  and  30  men,  belonging 
to  his  constant  friend,  Mr.  Manesty.  He  established  public 


CA  PTA  IN  JOHN  NE  WTON.  507 

worship  on  board  ship  twice  every  Lord's  day,  officiating 
himself.  Having  now  much  more  leisure,  he  prosecuted 
his  classical  studies.  His  letters  to  his  wife  show  a  very 
striking  gradual  development  of  his  religious  life,  during 
this  and  subsequent  voyages. 

Writing  to  Mrs.  Newton,  from  the  Bananas,  in  November, 
1750,  he  says  :— 

"  I  have  lately  had  a  visit  from  my  quondam  black  mistress, 
with  whom  I  lived  at  the  Plantains.  I  treated  her  with  the 
greatest  complaisance  and  kindness,  and  if  she  has  any  shame 
in  her,  I  believe  I  have  made  her  sorry  for  her  former  ill-treat- 
ment of  me.  I  have  had  several  such  occasions  of  taking-  the 
noblest  kind  of  revenge  upon  persons  who  once  despised  and 
used  me  ill.  Indeed,  I  have  no  reason  to  be  angry  with  them. 
They  were  what  they  little  intended — instrumental  to  my  good." 

Further  details  of  this  circumstance,   are  given   by  the 
Rev.  John  Campbell : — 

"  Upon  being  asked  whether  he  ever  met  again  with  the 
black  woman  who  had  treated  him  so  harshly  when  he  was  in 
Africa,  Mr.  Newton  replied,  '  Oh,  yes;  when  I  went  there  as  a 
captain  of  a  ship,  I  sent  my  longboat  ashore  for  her.  This 
soon  brought  her  on  board.  I  desired  the  men  to  fire  guns 
over  her  head  in  honour  of  her,  because  she  had  formerly  done 
me  so  much  good,  though  she  did  not  mean  it.  She  seemed 
to  feel  it  like  heaping  coals  of  fire  on  her  head.  I  made  her 
.  some  presents,  and  sent  her  ashore.  She  was  evidently  most 
comfortable  when  she  had  her  back  to  my  ship.  I  just  recollect 
a  circumstance  that  happened  to  me  when  I  first  stepped 
ashore  on  the  beach  at  that  time.  Two  black  females  were 
passing  ;  the  first  who  noticed  me  observed  to  her  companion, 
that  '  there  was  Newton,  and,  what  do  you  think,  he  has  got 
shoes  ! '  '  Ay,'  said  the  other,  '  and  stockings  too  ! '  They  had 
never  seen  me  before  with  either." 

Writing  from  Shebar,  he  speaks  of  the  raillery  he   en- 
countered amongst  the  sea  captains  he  met  with:— 


503  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 

"They  think  I  have  not  a  right  .notion  of  life;  and  I  am 
sure  they  have  not.  They  say  I  am  melancholy  ;  I  tell  them 
they  are  mad.  They  say  I  am  a  slave  to  one  woman  ;*  which 
I  deny,  but  can  prove  that  some  of  them  are  mere  slaves  to  a 
hundred.  They  can  form  no  idea  of  my  happiness  ;  I  answer, 
I  think  the  better  of  it  on  that  account." 

Having  completed  his  purchases  on  the  African  coast, 
Captain  Newton  crossed  the  sea  with  his  human  cargo  to 
Antigua,  where  he  heard  of  his  father's  death.  Writing  to 
his  wife  he  gives  her  the  following  account  of  his  position 
and  authority  as  captain: — 

"My  condition  when  abroad,  and  even  in  Guinea,  might  be 
envied  by  multitudes  who  stay  at  home.  I  am  as  absolute  in 
my  small  dominions  (life  and  death  excepted)  as  any  potentate 
in  Europe.  If  I  say  to  one,  come,  he  comes;  if  to  another,  go, 
he  flies.  If  I  order  one  person  to  do  something,  perhaps  three 
or  four  will  be  ambitious  of  a  share  in  the  service.  Not  a  man 
in  the  ship  will  eat  his  dinner  till  I  please  to  give  him  leave — 
nay,  nobody  dares  to  say  it  is  twelve  or  eight  o'clock,  in  my 
hearing,  till  I  think  proper  to  say  so  first.  There  is  a  mighty 
bustle  of  attendance  when  I  leave  the  ship,  and  a  strict  watch 
kept  while  I  am  absent,  lest  I  should  return  unawares  and  not 
be  received  in  due  form.  And  should  I  stay  out  till  midnight 
(which  for  that  reason  I  never  do  without  necessity)  nobody 
must  presume  to  shut  their  eyes  till  they  have  had  the  honour 
of  seeing  me  again.  I  would  have  you  judge  from  my  manner 
of  relating  these  ceremonies,  that  I  do  not  value  them  highly 
for  their  own  sake;  but  they  are  old-fashioned  customs,  and 
necessary  to  be  kept  up,  for  without  a  strict  discipline  the 
common  sailors  would  be  unmanageable.  But  in  the  midst  of 


*  Mr.  Cecil  tells  us  that  he  "heard  Mr.  Newton  observe,  that,  as  the  com- 
mander of  a  slave-ship,  he  had  a  number  of  women  under  his  absolute  command  ; 
and  knowing  the  danger  of  his  situation  on  that  account,  he  resolved  to  abstain 
from  flesh  in  his  food,  and  to  drink  nothing  stronger  than  water,  during  the  voyage ; 
that,  by  abstemiousness,  he  might  subdue  every  improper  emotion  ;  and  that,  upon 
his  setting  sail,  the  sight  of  a  certain  point  of  land  was  the  signal  for  his  beginning 
a  rule  which  he  was  enabled  to  keep." 


CA  PTA IN  JOHN  NE  WTON.  509 

my   parade    I    do  not  forget — I   hope  I  never  shall — what  my 
situation  was  on  board  the  Harwich,  and  at  the  Plantains." 

After  passing  through  various  scenes  of  danger  and 
difficulty  he  reached  home  in  November,  1751,  after  a 
voyage  of  fourteen  months.  In  July,  1752,  he  sailed  again 
from  Liverpool,  commander  of  the  new  slave-ship  African. 
He  is  no  sooner  at  sea  than  down  in  his  diary  goes  the 
expression  of  his  earnest  desire  to  live  wholly  to  the  Lord. 
He  elaborates  a  scheme  of  rules  for  his  own  conduct,  prays 
for  his  wife,  whom  he  almost  worshipped,  arranges  for  as 
much  Sabbath  rest  as  was  possible  for  his  crew,  and  even 
sets  apart  a  day  of  fasting  and  prayer  on  their  behalf. 
These  were  the  high  and  holy  purposes  of  a  good  man, 
made  in  simple  and  child-like  faith  in  God,  and  we  must 
not  let  our  present  enlightened  prejudice  against  the  slave 
trade  lead  us  to  imagine  that  John  Newton  was  a  hypocrite 
or  a  fanatic.  He  was  simply  for  thoroughness  in  all  he 
did,  whether  on  the  side  of  black  or  white  angels. 
Formerly  energetic  as  an  atheist,  he  was  now  energetic 
for  Christ.  Let  us  return  to  his  own  narrative  :— 

"  A  sea-faring  life  is  necessarily  excluded  from  the  benefit 
of  public  ordinances  and  Christian  communion  ;  but  my  loss 
upon  these  heads  was  at  this  time  but  small.  In  other  respects 
I  know  not  any  calling  that  affords  greater  advantages  to  an 
awakened  mind,  for  promoting  the  life  of  God  in  the  soul, 
especially  to  a  person  who  has  the  command  of  a  ship,  and 
thereby  has  it  in  his  power  to  restrain  gross  irregularities  in 
others,  and  to  dispose  of  his  own  time;  and  still  more  so  in 
African  voyages,  as  these  ships  carry  a  double  proportion  of 
men  and  officers  to  most  others,  which  made  my  department 
very  easy;  and  excepting  the  hurry  of  trade,  &c. ,  upon  the 
coast,  which  is  rather  occasional  than  constant,  afforded  me 
abundance  of  leisure.  To  be  at  sea  in  these  circumstances, 
withdrawn  out  of  the  reach  of  innumerable  temptations,  with 
opportunity  and  a  turn  of  mind  disposed  to  observe  the  wonders 


JilO  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLAVE  TRADE. 

of  God  in  the  great  deep,  with  the  twp  noblest  objects  of  sight — 
the  expanded  heavens  and  the  expanded  ocean — continually  in 
view,  and  where  evident  interpositions  of  Divine  Providence,  in 
answer  to  prayer,  occur  almost  every  day  ;  these  are  helps  to 
quicken  and  confirm  the  life  of  faith,  which,  in  a  good  measure, 
supply  a  religious  sailor  the  want  of  those  advantages  which 
can  only  be  enjoyed  upon  the  shore.  My  knowledge  of  spiritual 
things  was  at  this  time  very  small,  yet  I  have  sometimes  looked 
back  with  regret  upon  those  scenes.  I  never  knew  sweeter  or 
more  frequent  hours  of  divine  communion  than  in  my  two  last 
voyages  to  Guinea,  when  I  was  either  almost  secluded  from 
society  on  shipboard,  or  when  on  shore  with  none  but  natives. 
I  have  wandered  through  the  woods,  reflecting  on  the  singular 
goodness  of  the  Lord  to  me,  in  a  place  where  perhaps  there  was 
not  a  person  who  knew  Him  for  some  thousand  miles  round  me. 
Many  a  time,  upon  these  occasions,  I  have  restored  the  beau- 
tiful lines  of  Propertius  to  the  right  owner  ;  lines  full  of 
blasphemy  and  madness  when  addressed  to  a  creature,  but 
full  of  comfort  and  propriety  in  the  mouth  of  a  believer — 

"  Sic  ego  desertis  possim  bene  vivere  sylvis 
Quo  nulla  humane  sit  via  trita  pede  ; 
Tu  mihi  curarum  requies,  in  nocte  velatra 
Lumen,  et  in  solis  tu  mihi  turba  locis. 

"  PARAPHRASED. 

"  In  desert  woods  with  thee,  my  God, 
Where  human  footsteps  never  trod, 

How  happy  could  I  be  ! 
Thou  my  repose  from  care  ;  my  light 
Amidst  the  darkness  of  the  night  ; 

In  solitude  my  company  " 

"  In  the  course  of  this  voyage  I  was  wonderfully  preserved 
in  the  midst  of  many  obvious  and  many  unforeseen  dangers. 
At  one  time  there  was  a  conspiracy  amongst  my  own  people 
to  turn  pirates,  and  take  the  ship  from  me.  When  the  plot 
was  nearly  ripe,  and  they  only  waited  a  convenient  opportunity, 
two  of  those  concerned  in  it  were  taken  ill  in  one  day  ;  one  of 


CAPTAIN  JOHN  NE  WTON.  5 1 1 

them  died,  and  he  was  the  only  person  I  buried  while  on 
board.  This  suspended  the  affair,  and  opened  a  way  to  its 
discovery,  or  the  consequence  might  have  been  fatal.  The 
slaves  on  board  were  likewise  frequently  plotting  insurrections 
and  were  sometimes  upon  the  very  brink  of  mischief,  but  it 
was  always  disclosed  in  due  time.  When  I  have  thought  my- 
self most  secure,  I  have  been  suddenly  alarmed  with  danger  ; 
when  I  have  almost  despaired  of  life,  as  sudden  a  deliverance 
has  been  vouchsafed  to  me.  My  stay  upon  the  coast  was  long, 
the  trade  very  precarious,  and  in  the  pursuit  of  my  business, 
both  on  board  and  on  shore,  I  was  in  deaths  often." 

On  one  occasion  he  was  hindered  from  going  on  shore  at 
Mana  by  some  strange  dream  and  premonition  of  danger, 
and  found  afterwards  that  it  was  no  idle  fear.  A  trader 
named  Thomas  Bryan,  who  owed  him  ,£100,  sent  him  the 
money  in  a  huff,  charging  him,  at  the  same  time,  with  an 
intrigue  with  one  of  his  women,  and  refusing  henceforth 
to  have  anything  to  do  with  him.  The  charge,  which 
affected  his  honour  and  interest  in  Africa  and  England, 
and  might  have  touched  his  life  had  he  landed,  was  after- 
wards acknowledged  to  have  been  a  malicious  calumny, 
without  the  least  shadow  of  a  ground.* 

In  a  letter  to  his  wife,  Captain  Newton  thus  describes  a 
"  Sea-Sunday  " : — 

"The  Saturday  evening  is  a  time  of  devotion  when  I 
especially  beg  a  blessing  on  your  Sunday,  as  I  know,  where  you 
are,  you  are  unavoidably  exposed  to  trifling  company.  I 
usually  rise  at  four  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  after  seeking  a 
blessing  on  the  day,  take  a  serious  walk  on  deck.  Then  I  read 
two  or  three  select  chapters.  At  breakfast,  I  eat  and  drink 

*  Among  Newton's  papers  were  found  the  following  notes  addressed  by  Bryan 
"  For  Capt.  John  Newton,  these:" 

"SiR, — I  have  sent  you  one  boy-slave  on  board,  and  I  am  going  up  to  my  town. 
I  shall  be  down  again  in  three  days.  I  would  not  have  you  go  from  here  till  you 
hear  further  from  me,  for  I  intend  to  do  what  I  can  for  you.  I  have  no  further 
commands  at  present,  but  remain  your  friend  and  well-wisher,  Thomas  Bryan." 

"  SIR, — Mr.  Corker  gives  his  service  to  you,  and  has  sent  you  one  girl-slave  on 
board,  and  says  he  will  do  what  he  can  for  you." 


512  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 

more  than  I  talk,  for  I  have  no  one  here  to  join  in  such 
conversation  as  I  then  choose.  At  the  hour  of  your  going-  to 
Church  I  attend  you  in  my  mind  with  another  prayer  ;  and  at 
eleven  o'clock  the  ship's  bell  rings  my  own  little  congregation 
about  me.  To  them  I  read  the  morning  service  according  to 
the  Liturgy.  Then  I  walk  the  deck  and  attend  my  observation 
(i.e.  take  the  latitude  of  the  ship).  After  dinner  a  brief  rest, 
or  I  write  in  my  diary.  I  think  again  upon  you  at  the  time  of 
afternoon  service,  and  once  more  assemble  the  crew  for  worship. 
I  take  tea  at  four,  then  follows  a  Scripture  lesson,  and  a  walk 
and  private  devotion  at  six." 

Captain  Newton  drew  up  a  written  instrument  devoting 
himself  once  more  the  servant  of  God,  "  absolutely  and  for 
ever,  without  any  reserve  or  competition,"  and  the  covenant 
was  signed,  sealed,  and  dated  as  in  the  presence  of  God,  at 
"New  Shebar,  on  the  Windward  coast  of  Africa,  on  Sunday, 
the  i5th  of  October,  A.S.M.,  1752." 

He  resumed  his  Latin  studies  when  business  permitted, 
and  was  regular  in  his  habits,  allotting  about  eight  hours  to 
sleep  and  meals,  eight  hours  to  exercise  and  devotion,  and 
eight  hours  to  his  books.  He  sailed  from  Africa  for  St. 
Kitts,  and  on  the  voyage  wept  two  or  three  times  over  some 
passages  in  the  life  of  Colonel  Gardiner.  One  would  have 
thought  that  there  was  more  cause  for  weeping  to  be  seen  in 
the  hold,  but  the  good  captain  puts  us  right  to  our  confusion. 

"One  circumstance,"  he  says,  "I  cannot  but  set  down  here, 
and  which  I  hope  I  shall  always  take  pleasure  in  ascribing  to 
the  blessing  of  the  God  of  peace,  I  mean  the  remarkable  dis- 
position of  the  men-slaves  I  have  on  board,  who  seem  for 
some  time  past  to  have  entirely  changed  their  tempers.  I  was 
at  first  continually  alarmed  by  their  almost  desperate  attempts 
to  make  insurrections.  One  of  these  affairs  has  been  mentioned, 
but  we  had  more  afterwards  ;  and  when  most  quiet  they  were 
always  watching  for  opportunity.  However,  from  the  end  of 
February,  they  have  behaved  more  like  children  in  one  family 


CAPTAIN  JOHN  NEWTON.  513 

than  slaves  in  chains  and  irons,  and  are  really  upon  all  occasions 
more  observing,  obliging-  and  considerate  than  our  white  people. 
Yet,  in  this  space,  they  would  often  in  all  likelihood  have  been 
able  to  do  much  more  mischief  than  in  former  parts  of  the 
voyage." 

Captain  Newton  arrived  at  St.  Kitts  on  June  24th,  1753. 
On  the  nth  of  July,  he  sailed  for  England,  arriving  in 
Liverpool  in  August.  He  remained  only  six  weeks  in 
England,  sailing  in  the  middle  of  October  on  his  third  and 
last  voyage.  He  sets  Wednesday,  November  2ist,  apart 
for  the  special  purpose  of  seeking  a  blessing  upon  his 
voyage,  and  for  protection  through  its  various  difficulties 
and  dangers.  He  also  resolves  to  devote  a  certain  proportion 
of  his  earnings  to  charity.  A  strange  and  a  sad  thing 
happened  in  connection  with  this  voyage.  Before  he  sailed, 
Newton  met  with  a  young  man,  formerly  a  midshipman, 
and  his  own  intimate  companion  on  board  the  Harwich. 
A  sober  youth  at  first,  he  had  fallen  a  victim  to  Newton's 
libertine  principles.  They  resumed  their  intimacy  at 
Liverpool,  Newton  told  his  story,  and  earnestly  set  about 
undoing  the  evil  he  had  done,  but  was  reminded  by  his 
friend  that  he  was  the  very  first  person  who  had  preached 
the  scepticism  against  which  he  was  now  arguing.  This 
was  a  terrible  stab  to  Newton's  conscience.  His  friend's 
owner  having  failed  just  as  he  was  about  to  sail  as  master 
of  a  Guinea  ship,  and  left  him  without  employment, 
Newton,  more  in  the  hope  of  undoing  his  own  evil  work 
than  to  serve  the  man  in  business,  took  him  on  board  his 
own  ship  as  a  companion,  the  owners  promising  to  provide 
him  a  ship  on  his  return.  He  soon  had  reason  to  repent 
the  step.  The  man  was  exceedingly  profane,  and  grew 
worse  and  worse.  "  I  saw  in  him,"  says  Newton,  "a  most 
lively  picture  of  what  I  had  once  been,  but  it  was  very 
inconvenient  to  have  it  always  before  my  eyes."  After 
being  a  sharp  thorn  in  the  captain's  side  upon  the  voyage, 

2K 


514  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 

requiring  all  his  prudence  and  authority  to  keep  him  under 
any  degree  of  restraint,  the  man  was  sent  away  in  a  small 
vessel  to  trade  on  the  ship's  account.  He  was  greatly  affected 
at  parting  with  the  captain,  who  gave  him  good  advice,  but 
no  sooner  was  he  free  of  the  controlling  eye,  than  he  "gave 
a  hasty  loose  to  every  appetite,  and  his  violent  irregularities, 
joined  to  the  heat  of  the  climate,  soon  threw  him  into  a 
malignant  fever,  which  carried  him  off  in  a  few  days.  He 
died  convinced,  but  not  changed." 

"The  account  I  had  from  those  who  were  with  him,"  says 
the  Captain,  "  was  dreadful.  His  rage  and  despair  struck  them 
all  with  horror,  and  he  pronounced  his  own  fatal  doom  before 
he  expired,  without  any  appearance  that  he  either  hoped  or 
asked  for  mercy.  I  thought  this  awful  contrast  might  not  be 
improper  to  adduce,  as  a  stronger  view  of  the  distinguishing 
goodness  of  God  to  me,  the  chief  of  sinners." 

On  the  passage  from  the  Coast  of  Africa  to  St.  Chris- 
topher's, Captain  Newton  was  attacked  with  fever,  which, 
for  a  while,  gave  him  "a  very  near  prospect  of  eternity." 
In  this  illness,  a  somewhat  strange  fancy  disturbed  him  :  "  I 
seemed  not  so  much  afraid  of  wrath  and  punishment,  as  of 
being  lost  and  overlooked  amidst  the  myriads  that  are  con- 
tinually entering  the  unseen  world.  What  is  my  soul, 
thought  I,  among  such  an  innumerable  multitude  of  beings ! 
And  this  troubled  me  greatly:  '  Perhaps  the  Lord  will  take 
no  notice  of  me.' '  It  does  not  seem  to  have  occurred  to  him, 
that  some  of  his  cargo  might  be  ready  to  identify  him  in  the 
spirit  world,  with  a  view  to  a  settlement  of  accounts. 
However,  he  remembered  that  "the  Lord  knoweth  them 
that  are  his,"  and  his  perplexity  vanished,  as  also  did  the 
fever  before  his  arrival  in  the  West  Indies.  At  St.  Kitts, 
Newton  met  Captain  Clunie,  commander  of  a  London  ship, 
and  a  member  of  the  church  of  the  Rev.  Samuel  Brewer,  of 
Stepney.  "  He  was  a  man,"  says  Newton,  "of  experience 
in  the  things  of  God,  and  of  a  lively,  communicative  turn. 


CAPTAIN  JOHN  NEWTON.  515 

For  near  a  month,  we  spent  every  evening  together  on  board 
each  other's  ship  alternately,  and  often  prolonged  our  visits 
till  towards  day-break.  I  was  all  ears;  and  what  was  better, 
he  not  only  informed  my  understanding,  but  his  discourse 
inflamed  my  heart."  His  intercourse  with  Captain  Clunie 
broadened  his  religious  views,  and  proved  of  lasting  value 
to  him.  He  arrived  in  Liverpool  on  the  Qth  of  August, 
1754,  "having  had,"  he  says,  "a  favourable  passage,  and,  in 
general,  a  comfortable  sense  of  the  presence  of  God  through 
the  whole,  and  towards  the  end,  some  remarkable  deliver- 
ances and  answers  to  prayer."  Then  he  makes  a  remarkable 
statement : — 

"  I  had  the  pleasure  to  return  thanks  in  the  churches  (at 
Liverpool),  for  an  African  voyage,  performed  without  any 
accident,  or  the  loss  of  a  single  man;  and  it  was  much  noticed 
and  acknowledged  in  the  town.  I  question  if  it  is  not  the  only 
instance  of  the  kind.  When  I  made  my  first  appearance  upon 
'Change,  a  stranger  would  have  thought  me  a  person  of  great 
importance,  by  the  various  congratulations  I  received  from 
almost  every  gentleman  present." 

"  My  stay  at  home  was  intended  to  be  but  short,  and  by 
the  beginning  of  November  I  was  ready  again  for  the  sea;  but 
the  Lord  saw  fit  to  overrule  my  design.  During  the  time  I 
was  engaged  in  the  slave  trade,  I  never  had  the  least  scruple 
as  to  its  lawfulness.  I  was,  upon  the  whole,  satisfied  with  it, 
as  the  appointment  Providence  had  marked  out  for  me ;  yet  it 
was  in  many  respects  far  from  eligible.  It  is,  indeed,  accounted 
a  genteel  employment,  and  is  usually  very  profitable,  though  to 
me  it  did  not  prove  so,  the  Lord  seeing  that  a  large  increase  of 
wealth  could  not  be  good  for  me.  However,  I  considered 
myself  as  a  sort  of  gaoler  or  turnkey;  and  I  was  sometimes 
shocked  with  an  employment  that  was  perpetually  conversant 
with  chains,  bolts,  and  shackles.  In  this  view,  I  had  often 
petitioned,  in  my  prayers,  that  the  Lord  (in  his  own  time)  would 
be  pleased  to  fix  me  in  a  more  humane  calling,  and  (if  it  might 
be)  place  me  where  I  might  have  more  frequent  converse  with 


516  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 

his    people    and   ordinances,   and    be   freed    from   those    long- 
separations  from  home,  which  very  often  were  hard  to  bear." 

His  prayers  were  answered.  Two  days  before  sailing, 
while  sitting  at  tea  with  his  wife,  he  was  seized  with  a  fit. 
By  the  advice  of  his  physicians  he  resigned  the  command 
of  the  Bee,  which  Mr.  Manesty  had  bought  purposely  on 
his  account,  and  thus  escaped  a  calamitous  voyage,  and 
terminated  his  connection  with  the  slave  trade.  Through 
the  influence  of  Mr.  Manesty,  he  was  appointed  tide  sur- 
veyor of  Liverpool.* 

In  October,  1755,  his  wife,  recovering  from  a  great  illness, 
joined  him  in  Liverpool,  and  they  lived  "  in  health,  love, 
peace  and  plenty."  "I  jog  on  very  comfortably,"  he  writes, 
"  in  my  new  pro-consulship,  and  have  struck  some  bold 
strokes  in  my  way,  one  of  which  will  perhaps  put  from 
j£ioo  to  ^"150  in  my  pocket."  In  January,  1756,  he  took  a 
house  in  Edmund  Street,  off  Oldhall  Street,  and  set  apart  a 
little  room  for  study  and  prayer.  In  April,  he  printed  his 
"Thoughts  on  Religious  Associations,"  and  sent  copies  to 
every  minister  in  Liverpool. 

In  October,  1757,  we  find  him  entertaining  his  first 
definite  thoughts  of  entering  the  ministry. 

"This,"  he  says,  "  was  my  dear  mother's  hope  concerning 
me,  but  her  death  and  the  scenes  of  life  in  which  I  afterwards 
engaged  seemed  to  cut  off  the  probability.  I  thoug-ht  I  was 
above  most  living1,  a  fit  person  to  proclaim  that  faithful  saying 
'  that  Jesus  Christ  came  into  the  world  to  save  the  chief  of 

*  In  a  letter  to  his  wife,  written  before  she  joined  him  in  Liverpool,  Newton 
thus  describes  his  new  situation,  which  was  by  no  means  an  uncomfortable  one. 

''  I  entered  upon  business  yesterday.  I  find  my  duty  is  to  attend  the  tides  one 
week,  and  visit  the  ships  that  arrive,  and  such  as  are  in  the  river  ;  and  the  other 
week  to  inspect  the  vessels  in  the  docks  ;  and  thus  alternately  the  year  round. 
The  latter  is  little  more  than  a  sinecure,  but  the  former  requires  pretty  constant 
attendance,  both  by  day  and  night.  I  have  a  good  office,  with  fire  and  candle, 
fifty  or  sixty  people  under  my  direction,  with  a  handsome  six-oared  boat  and  a 
coxswain  to  row  me  about  in  form.  Mr.  W.  went  with  me  on  my  first  cruise  down 
to  the  Rock.  We  saw  a  vessel,  and  wandered  upon  the  hills  till  she  came  in.  I 
then  went  on  board,  and  performed  my  office  with  all  due  gravity;  and  had  it  not 
been  my  business,  the  whole  might  have  passed  for  a  party  of  pleasure." 


CA  PTAIN  JOHN  NE  WTON.  5 1 7 

sinners  ; '  and  as  my  life  had  been  full  of  remarkable  turns,  and 
I  seemed  selected  to  shew  what  the  Lord  could  do,  I  was  in 
some  hopes  that  perhaps  sooner  or  later  he  might  call  me  into 
this  service." 

In  the  year  1758,  he  made  his  first  effort  to  enter  the 
Church,  but  the  Archbishop  of  York,  through  his  secretary, 
gave  him  "  the  softest  refusal  imaginable." 

His  first  attempts  at  preaching,  made  in  dissenting 
meeting,  houses,  were  ignominious  failures,  with  MS.  as 
well  as  extempore,  and  his  shame  was  so  great  that  he 
could  not  see  two  or  three  persons  conversing  in  the  street, 
without  imagining  that  he  was  the  subject  of  ridicule. 

In  March,  1764,  John  Newton  was  offered  the  curacy  of 
Olney,  which  he  accepted.  He  was  then  in  his  39th  year, 
and  on  the  2Qth  of  April,  he  was  admitted  to  deacon's  orders 
at  Buckden.  On  his  return  to  Liverpool,  he  was  asked  to 
preach  for  two  of  the  clergymen  who  had  signed  his  testi- 
monials. Then  was  seen  the  strange  sight  of  an  ex-slave- 
captain  ascending  the  pulpit  of  St.  George's  Church,  and 
preaching  to  "a  crowded  and  various  auditory"  composed 
of  the  cream  of  slave-trading  Liverpool.* 

On  the  2ist  of  May,  1764,  the  Rev.  John  Newton  and  his 
wife  left  Liverpool,  where  they  had  resided  for  eight  years, 
and  took  up  their  residence  at  Olney.  On  the  i7th  of  June, 

*  Of  this  wondrous  turn  in  his  affairs  he  speaks  thus: — "  I  hope  I  was  enabled 
to  speak  the  truth.  Some  were  pleased,  but  many  disgusted.  I  was  thought  too 
long,  too  loud,  too  much  extempore.  I  conformed  to  their  judgment,  so  far 
as  I  lawfully  might,  on  the  Sunday  when  I  preached  at  the  other  church  in  the 
morning,  and  at  the  Infirmary  in  the  afternoon.  The  next  and  last  Sunday,  I 
preached  at  Childwell,  and  was  followed  by  many  from  town,  both  of  my  own 
friends  and  others." 

In  a  letter  to  his  old  friend,  Captain  Clunie,  he  adds  : — "  The  Lord  was  very 
gracious  to  me  at  Liverpool.  He  enabled  me  to  preach  His  truth  before  many 
thousands,  I  hope  with  some  measure  of  faithfulness,  I  trust  with  some  success, 
and  in  general  with  much  greater  acceptance  than  I  could  have  expected.  VV  hen 
we  came  away  I  think  the  bulk  of  the  people,  of  all  ranks  and  parties,  were  very 
sorry  to  part  with  us.  How  much  do  I  owe  to  the  restraining  and  preserving 
grace  of  God,  that  when  I  appeared  in  a  public  character  and  delivered  offensive 
truths  in  a  place  where  I  had  lived  so  long,  and  there  appeared  a  readiness  and 
disposition  in  some  to  disparage  my  character,  nothing  could  be  found  or  brought 
to  light  on  which  they  could  frame  an  accusation  ! " 


518  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLAVE  TRADE. 

Mr.  Newton  was  ordained  a  priest  by  the  Bishop  of  Lincoln, 
and  so,  after  weary  waiting,  the  desire  of  his  heart  and  his 
mother's  wish  were  granted.  In  November,  1766,  Mr. 
Newton  heard  of  the  bankruptcy  of  his  staunch  friend,  Mr. 
Manesty,  with  whom  he  had  deposited  all  his  savings.  He 
bore  the  blow  with  his  usual  trust  in  God,  thankfully 
remembering  all  the  good  he  had  formerly  received,  at  Mr. 
Manesty 's  hands. 

At  Olney,  where  he  laboured  as  curate  and  vicar  for  close 
upon  sixteen  years,  he  lived  in  closest  intimacy  with  the 
poet  Cowper.  To  be  the  friend  of  Cowper  was  to  be  the 
friend  of  what  was  best,  purest  and  most  spiritual  in  the 
England  of  that  time,  and  the  wonder  is  not  that  John 
Newton,  the  ex-slave-captain,  obtained  admittance  into  the 
Church  of  England,  as  an  ordained  minister,  but  that  he 
found  his  way  into  the  heart  of  the  gentle  poet,  who  sang 
the  wrongs  of  the  negroes  whom  Newton  had  been  buying 
and  selling,  and  conveying  across  the  sea  in  floating  prisons, 
the  horrors  of  which  he  probably  locked  in  his  own  breast. 

It  is  to  the  endeared  friendship  that  existed  between  these 
two  extraordinary  men — so  dissimilar  in  all  but  sincere 
devotion — that  we  owe  the  "  Olney  Hymns,"  the  joint  pro- 
duction of  the  divine  and  the  poet — of  the  emancipated  slave 
and  the  tuneful  champion  of  the  negro.  These  sacred 
lays  form  a  lasting  monument  to  the  kinship  of  soul  sub- 
sisting between  the  strong,  clear-visioned  pastor,  and  his 
gentle,  melancholy  parishioner,  and,  in  the  light  of  Newton's 
story,  afford  another  instance  that — 

"  God  moves  in  a  mysterious  way 
His  wonders  to  perform." 

From  Olney,  Mr.  Newton  was  removed  to  the  united 
parishes  of  St.  Mary  Woolnoth  and  St.  Mary  Woolchurch 
Haw,  Lombard  Street,  London.  He  often  spoke  with 
great  feeling  of  his  new  position,  seldom  passing  a  single 


CAPTAIN  JOHN  NEWTON.  519 

day  anywhere  without  referring  to  the  strange  event  in  one 
way  or  other.* 

In  one  of  the  letters  of  the  Cardiphonia  Series,  dated 
October  27th,  1778,  is  the  following  remarkable  passage  :— 

"  Last  Sunday  a  young-  man  died  here  of  extreme  old  age, 
at  twenty-five.  He  laboured  hard  to  ruin  a  good  constitution, 
and  unhappily  succeeded,  yet  amused  himself  with  the  hopes 
of  recovery  almost  to  the  last.  We  have  had  a  sad  knot  of 
such  poor  creatures  in  this  place,  who  labour  to  stifle  each 
other's  convictions,  and  to  ruin  themselves*and  associates,  soul 
and  body.  How  industriously  is  Satan  served  !  I  was 
formerly  one  of  his  most  active  under-tempters.  Not  content 
with  running1  the  broadway  myself,  I  was  indefatigable  in 
enticing  others ;  and,  had  my  influence  been  equal  to  my 
wishes,  I  would  have  carried  all  the  human  race  with  me. 
And  doubtless  some  have  perished  to  whose  destruction  I  was 
greatly  instrumental,  by  tempting  them  to  sin,  and  by  poisoning 
and  hardening  them  with  principles  of  infidelity ;  and  yet  I  was 
spared.  *  *  Had  my  abilities  been  equal  to  my  heart,  I  should 
have  been  a  Voltaire  and  a  Tiberius  in  one  character,  a  monster 
of  profaneness  and  licentiousness.  *O  to  grace  how  great  a 
debtor  ! '  A  common  drunkard  or  profligate  is  a  petty  sinner 
to  what  I  was.  I  had  the  ambition  of  a  Caesar  or  an  Alexander, 
and  wanted  to  rank  in  wickedness  among  the  foremost  of 
the  human  race." 

With  regard  to  the  peculiar  traffic  in  which  Newton  was 
so  long  engaged,  and  which,  to  modern  views,  seems  so 
strangely  at  variance  with  the  first  principles  of  Christianity, 
he  speaks  for  himself,  in  1763,  as  follows  : — 

"The  reader  may  perhaps  wonder,  as  I   now  do   myself, 

that,  knowing  the   state   of  this  vile  traffic  to  be  as  I   have 

*"  That  one,"  said  he,  "of  the  most  ignorant,  the  most  miserable,  and  the 
most  abandoned  of  slaves,  should  be  plucked  from  his  forlorn  state  of  exile  on  the 
coast  of  Africa,  and  at  length  be  appointed  minister  of  the  parish  of  the  first  magis- 
trate of  the  first  city  in  the  world — that  he  should  there  not  only  testify  of  such 
grace,  but  stand  up  as  a  singular  instance  and  monument  of  it — that  he  should  be 
enabled  to  record  it  in  his  history,  preaching,  and  writings  to  the  world  at  large — 
is  a  fact  I  can  contemplate  with  admiration,  but  never  sufficiently  estimate." 


520  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 

described  " — the  reference  is  to  a  Letter  in  which  he  has  been 
speaking  of  the  condition  of  the  slaves — "  and  abounding  with 
enormities  which  I  have  not  mentioned,  I  did  not  at  the  time 
start  with  horror  at  my  own  employment  as  an  agent  in  pro- 
moting it.      Custom,  example,  and  interest,  had  blinded  my 
eyes.      I  did  it  ignorantly,  for  I  am  sure  had  I  thought  of  the 
slave-trade  then  as  I  have  thought  of  it  since,  no  considerations 
would  have  induced  me  to  continue  in  it.     Though  my  religious 
views  were  not  very  clear,  my  conscience  was  very  tender,  and 
I  durst  not  have  displeased  God  by  acting  against  the  light  of 
my  mind.      Indeed,  a  slave-ship,  while  on  the  coast,  is  exposed 
to  such  innumerable  and  continual  dangers,  that  I  was   often 
then,  and  still  am,  astonished  that  anyone  much  more  that  so 
many,  should  leave  the  coast  in  safety.     I  was  then  favoured 
with  an  uncommon  degree  of  dependence  upon  the  Providence 
of  God,  which  supported  me;  but  this  confidence  must  have  failed 
in  a  moment,  and  I  should  have  been  overwhelmed  with  distress 
and  terror,  if  I  had  known,  or  even  suspected,  that  I  was  acting 
wrongly.     I  felt  greatly  the  disagreeableness  of  the  business. 
The  office  of  a  gaoler,  and  the  restraints   under  which  I  was 
obliged  to  keep  my  prisoners,  were  not  suitable  to  my  feelings; 
but  I  considered  it  as  the  line  of  life  which  God  in  His  Provi- 
dence had  allotted  me,  and  as  a  cross  which  I  ought  to  bear 
with   patience  and   thankfulness  till  he   should    be  pleased  to 
deliver  me  from  it.        Till  then  I  only  thought  myself  bound  to 
treat  the  slaves  under  my  care  with  gentleness,  and  to  consult 
their  ease  and  convenience  so  far  as  was  consistent  with  the 
safety  of  the  whole  family  of  whites  and  blacks  on  board  my 
ship." 

In  1787,  Mr.  Newton's  remarks  on  the  African  slave  trade 
were  given  to  the  world.  Mrs.  Hannah  More  writes 
to  tell  him  how  much  she  is  pleased  with  his  sensible, 
judicious,  well-timed,  and  well-tempered  pamphlet  on  the 
slave  trade,  and  that  in  a  letter  from  Bristol,  she  had  been 
informed  that  Mr.  John  Wesley  named  it  with  great 
commendation  in  a  sermon  he  preached  on  the  subject. 


CAPTAIN  JOHN  NEWTON.  521 

He  also  received  a  communication  from  Scotland,  speaking 
most  highly  of  his  writings,  and  stating  that  they  had  made 
his  name  "savoury"  in  the  most  remote  and  distant  parts 
of  the  country,  and  concluding  with  a  request,  that  he  would 
allow  their  reprint  in  that  part  of  the  kingdom — a  sure 
earnest  of  fame.  From  America,  India,  and  other  quarters 
nearer  home,  came  strong  proofs  that  his  works  were  now 
read  with  comfort  and  delight  by  thousands  of  people  who 
revered  the  name  of  Newton.  He  refused  to  accept  the 
degree  of  Doctor  of  Divinity  from  the  University  of  New 
Jersey,  and  threatened  that  if  any  more  letters  came  from 
Scotland,  addressed  to  Dr.  Newton,  he  would  return  them 
unopened.  He  supplied  Mr.  Clarkson  with  valuable  infor- 
mation connected  with  the  slave-traffic,  and  \vas  one  of  the 
most  important  witnesses  called  before  the  Parliamentary 
Committee  appointed  to  enquire  into  that  subject. 

In  1792,  when  Wilberforce  had  renewed  his  motion  in 
the  House  of  Commons  for  the  abolition  of  the  slave  trade, 
Newton  preached  upon  the  subject,  as  he  had  done  on  a  like 
occasion  in  rygi. 

"  I  regarded  it,"  he  says,  in  a  letter  to  the  Rev.  W.  Bull, 
"  not  in  a  political,  but  in  a  moral  view.  I  consider  myself 
bound  in  conscience  to  bear  my  testimony  at  least,  and  to 
wash  my  hands  from  the  guilt  which,  if  persisted  in  now  that 
thing's  have  been  so  thoroughly  investigated  and  brought 
to  light,  will,  I  think,  constitute  a  national  sin  of  a  scarlet  and 
crimson  dye." 

About  the  same  time,  he  published  his  "Thoughts  upon 
the  African  Slave  Trade,"  in  which  he  pointed  out  its  fear- 
ful political  and  moral  evils — its  injury  alike  to  the  slaves 
and  those  who  trafficked  in  them : — 

"If  my  testimony,"  he  says,  "should  not  be  necessary  or 
serviceable,  yet,  perhaps,  I  am  bound  in  conscience  to  take 
shame  to  myself  by  a  public  confession,  which,  however  sincere, 
comes  too  late  to  prevent  or  repair  the  misery  and  mischief  to 


522  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 

which  I  have  formerly  been  accessory.  I  hope  it  will  always  be 
a  subject  of  humiliating-  reflection  to  me  that  I  was  once  an 
active  instrument  in  a  business  at  which  my  heart  now  shudders. 
Perhaps  what  I  have  said  of  myself  may  be  applicable  to  the 
nation  at  large.  The  slave  trade  was  always  unjustifiable;  but 
inattention  and  interest  prevented  for  a  time  the  evil  from  being 
perceived.  It  is  otherwise  at  present.  The  mischiefs  and  evils 
connected  with  it  have  been  of  late  years  represented  with  such 
undeniable  evidence,  and  are  now  so  generally  known,  that 
hardly  an  objection  can  be  made  to  the  almost  universal  wish 
for  the  suppression  of  this  trade,  save  on  the  ground  of  political 
expedience." 

Three  thousand  copies  of  this  pamphlet  were  printed  and 
distributed  by  the  Abolition  Society. 

In  the  course  of  a  sermon,  preached  on  Friday,  Feb.  28th, 
1794,  the  day  appointed  for  a  general  fast,  Mr.  Newton 
referred  to  the  slave  trade  in  these  words  : — 

"  I  should  be  inexcusable,  considering  the  share  I  have 
formerly  had  in  that  unhappy  business,  if  upon  this  occasion, 
I  should  omit  to  mention  the  African  Slave  Trade.  I  do  not 
rank  this  amongst  our  national  sins,  because  I  hope  and 
believe  a  very  great  majority  of  the  nation  earnestly  long  for 
its  suppression.  But,  hitherto,  petty  and  partial  interests 
prevail  against  the  voice  of  justice,  humanity,  and  truth.  This 
enormity,  however,  is  not  sufficiently  laid  to  heart.  If  you 
are  justly  shocked  by  what  you  hear  of  the  cruelties  practised 
in  France,  you  would  perhaps  be  shocked  much  more  if  you 
could  fully  conceive  of  the  evils  and  miseries  inseparable  from 
this  traffic,  which  I  apprehend,  not  from  hearsay,  but  from  my 
own  observation,  are  equal  in  atrocity,  and  perhaps  superior  in 
number,  in  the  course  of  a  single  year,  to  any  or  all  the  worst 
actions  which  have  been  known  in  France  since  the  commence- 
ment of  their  revolution.  There  is  a  cry  of  blood  against  us  ;  a 
cry  accumulated  by  the  accession  of  fresh  victims,  of  thousands, 
of  scores  of  thousands,  I  had  almost  said  of  hundreds  of 
thousands,  from  year  to  year." 


CAPTAIN  JOHN  NEWTON,  523 

Preaching  in  the  parish  church  of  St.  Mary  Woolnoth, 
on  December  iQth,  1797,  the  day  of  general  thanksgiving  for 
the  late  naval  victories,  he  said  : — 

"  Oppression  is  a  national  sin  if  the  grievance  be  publicly 
known,  and  no  constitutional  measures  adopted  for  prevention 
or  relief.  Charges  of  this  nature  have  been  brought  against 
the  exercise  of  our  power,  both  in  the  east  and  in  the  west.  I 
pretend  not  to  say  how  far  they  were  founded  in  truth,  or 
exaggerated.  I  confine  myself  to  a  single  instance,  of  which 
my  own  knowledge  warrants  me  to  speak.  I  have  more  than 
once  confessed  with  shame  in  this  pulpit  the  concern  I  had  too 
long  in  the  African  slave  trade.  This  trade,  marked  as  it  is 
with  the  epithet  INFAMOUS  by  a  vote  of  the  House  of  Commons, 
is  still  carried  on,  and  under  the  sanction  of  the  legislature. 
Though  the  repeated  attempts  to  procure  the  abolition  of  this 
trade  have  not  succeeded,  they  have  doubtless  contributed  to 
meliorate  the  condition  of  the  blacks  who  are  in  a  state  of 
slavery  in  our  West  India  Islands.  The  mode  of  their  trans- 
portation thither  from  the  African  coast  seems  to  be  less 
tormenting  and  fatal  than  formerly.  How  far  this  trade  may 
have  been  affected  by  the  present  war  I  know  not.  When  I 
was  engaged  in  it,  we  generally  supposed,  for  an  accurate 
calculation  was  not  practicable,  that  there  were  not  less  than 
a  hundred  thousand  persons,  men,  women,  and  children 
brought  off  the  coast  by  the  European  vessels  of  all  nations  ; 
and  that  an  equal  number  lost  their  lives  annually  by  the  wars 
and  other  calamities  occasioned  by  the  traffic,  either  on  shore, 
without  reaching  the  ship,  or  on  shipboard  before  they  reached 
the  places  of  sale.  It  was  also  supposed  that  more  than  one- 
half,  perhaps  three-fifths  of  the  trade  was  in  the  hands  of  the 
English.  If  the  trade  is  at  present  carried  on  to  the  same 
extent,  and  nearly  in  the  same  manner,  while  we  are  delaying 
from  year  to  year  to  put  a  stop  to  our  part  of  it,  the  blood  of 
many  thousands  of  our  helpless,  much  injured  fellow-creatures 
is  crying  against  us.  The  pitiable  state  of  the  survivors  who 
are  torn  from  their  nearest  relatives,  connections,  and  their 


524  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 

native  land,  must  be  taken  into  the  account.  Enough  of  this 
horrid  scene.  I  fear  the  African  trade  is  a  national  sin,  for 
the  enormities  which  accompany  it  are  now  generally  known  ; 
and  though,  perhaps,  the  greater  part  of  the  nation  would  be 
pleased  if  it  were  suppressed,  yet,  as  it  does  not  immediately 
affect  their  own  interest,  they  are  passive.  The  shop-tax,  a 
few  years  since,  touched  them  in  a  more  sensible  and  tender 
part,  and  therefore  petitions  and  remonstrances  were  presented 
and  repeated,  till  the  tax  was  repealed.  Can  we  wonder  that 
the  calamities  of  the  present  war  begin  to  be  felt  at  home, 
when  we  ourselves  wilfully  and  deliberately  inflict  much 
greater  calamities  upon  the  native  Africans,  who  never 
offended  us  ?  That  is  an  awful  word — '  Woe  unto  thee  that 
spoilest,  and  thou  wast  not  spoiled  ;  when  thou  shalt  cease 
to  spoil,  thou  shalt  be  spoiled.'" 

Not  a  word  did  the  ex-slave-captain  say  of  the  negroes  who 
behaved  "like  children  of  one  family"  forty-five  years  before! 

A  friend  who  called  on  him  when  he  was  seventy-nine, 
relates  how  "when  the  servant  was  employed  putting  on 
his  shoes,  he  looked  up,  saying,  '  I  had  not  this  trouble  in 
Africa,  for  I  had  no  shoes.  Sir ' — looking  at  his  friend— 
'when  I  rose  in  the  morning,  and  shook  myself  like  a  dog, 
I  was  dressed.  For  forty  years  past  I  have  thought  every 
waking  hour  on  my  former  misery.'  ' 

In  January,  1806,  his  friend,  Mr.  Cecil  said  to  him  :  "  In 
the  article  of  public  preaching,  might  it  not  be  best  to 
consider  your  work  as  done,  and  stop  before  you  evidently 
discover  you  can  speak  no  longer?"  "I  cannot  stop," 
said  he,  raising  his  voice.  "What!  shall  the  old  African 
blasphemer  stop  while  he  can  speak?" 

An  interesting  reference  to  his  African  life  occurs  in  a 
letter  to  a  Mr.  Campbell  a  few  years  before  his  death. 
Twenty  African  boys  and  girls  had  been  brought  over  for 
instruction,  and  after  five  years  were  sent  back  to  the  coast 
of  Guinea. 


7 


CAPTAIN  JOHN  NEWTON.  525 

"  Last  week,"  he  says,  "  I  was  at  Clapham,  and  saw  the 
twenty  African  blackbirds.  The  girls  were  at  Battersea,  out 
of  my  reach.  When  I  went  into  the  school,  I  said  Letnmi, 
which  is,  being  interpreted,  How  do  you  do?  Two  or  three 
answered  Bah,  that  is,  I  thank  you  ;  by  which  I  knew  that 
they  had  some  knowledge  of  the  language  of  Sherboro',  the 
scene  of  my  bondage.  I  am  told  the  boys  come  forward 
apace,  behave  well,  and  seem  very  happy,  and  especially  when 
they  see  Mr.  Macaulay." 

What  strange  thoughts  must  have  passed  through  the 
old  man's  mind  as  he  stood  there  in  the  presence  of  types  of 
Africa's  future  civilization  !  And  the  children — the  African 
blackbirds — had  they  any  inkling  that  they  were  in  the 
presence  of  a  once  typical  enemy  of  their  race,  soon  to  be 
doomed  to  extinction  ? 

As  a  minister  of  the  gospel,  there  was  such  a  zeal  for 
the  truth,  such  gentleness,  candour,  and  forbearance  in 
Mr.  Newton,  that  conciliated  enemies  and  made  him  beloved 
by  his  friends.  On  this  head  the  testimony  of  Cowper  is 
very  clear.  In  a  letter  to  Newton,  the  poet  says,  "A  people 
will  love  a  minister,  if  a  minister  seems  to  love  his  people. 
The  old  maxim,  simile  agit  in  simile,  is  in  no  case  more 
exactly  verified  ;  therefore  you  were  beloved  at  Olney  ;  and 
if  you  preached  to  the  Chickesaws  and  Chactaws,  would  be 
equally  beloved  by  them." 

For  some  months  before  his  death,  Mr.  Newton  was 
confined  to  his  room.  "I  am,"  said  he,  "like  a  person 
going  on  a  journey  in  a  stage  coach,  who  expects  its  arrival 
every  hour,  and  is  frequently  looking  out  at  the  window  for 
it;"  and  another  time:  "I  am  packed  and  sealed,  and 
waiting  for  the  post."  Mr.  Jay  visited  him  near  the  closing 
scene.  He  was  hardly  able  to  speak,  but  said:  "My 
memory  is  nearly  gone  ;  but  I  remember  two  things  :  that 
I  am  a  great  sinner,  and  that  Christ  is  a  great  Saviour." 


526  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLAVE  TRADE. 

About  a  month  before  his  death,  he  said  to  a  lady  who  was 
sitting  by  him  : — 

"  It  is  a  great  thing-  to  die,  and  when  flesh  and  heart  fail,  to 
have  God  for  the  strength  of  our  heart,  and  our  portion  for 
ever.  I  know  whom  I  have  believed,  and  He  is  able  to  keep 
that  which  I  have  committed  to  him  against  that  great  day. 
Henceforth  there  is  laid  up  for  me  a  crown  of  righteousness, 
which  the  Lord,  the  righteous  Judge,  shall  give  me  at  that  day." 

At  another  time  he  said  :— 

"More  ligiit,  more  love,  more  liberty.  Hereafter,  I  hope 
when  I  shut  my  eyes  on  the  thing's  of  time,  I  shall  open  them 
in  a  better  world.  What  a  thing  it  is  to  live  under  the  shadow 
of  the  wings  of  the  Almighty !  I  am  going1  the  way  of  all 
flesh." 

And  so  he  "  gradually  sank  as  the  setting  sun,  shedding  to 
the  last  those  declining  rays  which  gilded  and  gladdened 
the  dark  valley."  On  the  evening  of  Monday,  December 
2ist,  1807 — the  year  of  the  abolition  of  the  Liverpool  Slave 
Trade — he  passed  away  in  his  eighty-third  year.  He  was 
buried  in  his  church  of  St.  Mary  Woolnoth.  He  composed 
the  following  epitaph  for  himself,  which  was  inscribed  on  a 
plain  marble  tablet  in  the  church: — 

"John  Newton,  clerk,  Once  an  Infidel  and  Libertine,  A 
Servant  of  Slaves  in  Africa,  was  By  the  rich  mercy  of  our  Lord 
and  Saviour — Jesus  Christ,  Preserved,  Restored,  Pardoned, 
And  appointed  to  preach  the  Faith  He  had  long  laboured  to 
destroy.  He  ministered  Near  XVI.  Years  as  curate  and  Vicar 
of  Olney  in  Bucks,  And  XXVIII.  as  Rector  of  these  United 
Parishes.  On  Febry.  the  First  MDCCL.  he  married  Mary, 
Daughter  of  the  late  George  Catlett,  of  Chatham,  Kent,  Whom 
he  Resigned  To  the  Lord  Who  Gave  Her,  On  Deer,  the  XVth. 
MDCCXC." 

Mr.    Newton's  conversational   powers  were   remarkable. 


CAPTAIN  JOHN  NEWTON.  527 

He  had  wit,  humour,  ready  thought,  and  expression,  all 
tempered  by  cheerfulness,  kindliness,  and  real  piety.  Some- 
times he  would  have  droll  fancies,  as  when  by  a  strong 
sneeze  he  shook  off  a  fly  which  had  perched  on  his  gnomon, 
and  immediately  said:  "Now,  if  this  fly  keeps  a  diary,  he'll 
write,  'To-day,  a  terrible  earthquake.' '  Asked  how  he  slept, 
he  instantly  replied:  "I'm  like  a  beef-steak — once  turned, 
and  I'm  done."  Once  a  little  sailor  boy,  with  his  father, 
called  on  him.  He  took  the  boy  between  his  knees  and 
told  him  that  he  had  been  much  at  sea  himself,  and  then 
sung  him  part  of  a  naval  song.  His  heart  was  as  large  as 
it  was  loving.  There  must  have  been  something  marvel- 
lously winning  and  uncommon  about  a  man  who  had  life- 
long friendships  with  such  people  as  Lord  Dartmouth,  and 
Wilberforce,  the  Thorntons,  Charles  Grant,  Ambrose  Serle, 
and  Mrs.  Hannah  More,  with  the  flower  of  the  clergy  of  all 
denominations.  He  was  no  great  preacher.  He  was  not  a 
Whitfield  or  a  Wesley  in  the  pulpit,  trumpet-tongued  to 
arouse  the  masses,  but  though  he  had  neither  music  in  his 
voice  nor  grace  in  his  manner,  great  congregations  hung 
upon  his  lips.  The  secret  of  his  power  was  sincerity  and 
earnestness.  His  whole  soul  was  in  sympathy  with  the 
truth,  and  with  his  hearers.  He  was  a  strong-minded  man, 
a  practical  Christian,  with  a  gift  for  turning  his  talents  to  the 
best  account.  His  character  was  beautiful  in  its  entireness. 
He  never  forgot  what  he  had  been,  and  if  pride  ever  arose 
in  his  mind,  he  would  say  on  such  occasions  he  had  only 
to  mix  a  little  Plantain  sauce  with  his  more  savoury  diet 
and  the  evil  was  at  once  suppressed.  Prayer  was  his  vital 
breath.  As  a  pastor  and  house-preacher  he  was  probably 
unequalled.  For  nearly  half  a  century  he  was  one  of  the 
best  known  and  most  valued  ministers  of  the  English  church, 
and  his  character,  which  was  peculiarly  English,  refined  by 
grace,  rendered  him  a  man  revered  and  loved  better  and 
more  widely  than  most  of  his  fellows.  The  story  of  his  life 


528  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 

and  Christian  experiences,  his  Letters,  and  some  of  his 
Hymns,  will  probably  be  remembered  when  the  seaport  from 
which  he  sailed  as  a  slave-captain,  is  but  a  name  like  Tyre 
and  Sidon,  and  when  Africa,  the  scene  of  his  degradation, 
is  basking  in  the  light  of  the  great  day  of  Restitution  and 
Refreshment. 


529 


CHAPTER    III. 


THE  MASSACRE  AT  OLD  CALABAR. 


IN  1766,  the  Vine,  Captain  Simmons,  returned  from  a 
voyage  to  Bonny,  on  the  coast  of  Africa,  and  Dominica,  in 
the  West  Indies,  with  400  slaves,  having  accomplished  the 
round  voyage  in  seven  months  and  ten  days,  and  apparently 
broken  the  record.  The  market  value  of  the  cargo  could  not 
have  been  less  than  ,£13,000,  as  will  be  seen  from  the 
following  table,  showing  the  average  price  of  negroes  sold 
at  Charleston,  Jamaica,  Grenada,  Tortola,  and  Dominica, 
during  seven  years  (1759,  1767-1772),  and  from  the  account 
sales  of  negroes  imported  in  the  ship  African. 

AVERAGE  PRICE  OF  NEGROES. 


£ 

s. 

d. 

1759 

Whydah    Negroes 

averaged   at 

Charleston 

35 

1  1 

o 

1767 

Calabar 

do. 

do. 

do. 

Grenada 

27 

o 

o 

1767 

Bonny 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

30 

10 

o 

1768 

Calabar 

do. 

do. 

do. 

Tortola 

23 

IO 

o 

1769 

Do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

Jamaica 

34 

14 

0 

1770 

Windward 
Coast 

do. 

do. 

do. 

Dominica 

33 

8 

o 

1770 

Old  Calabar 

do. 

do. 

do. 

Dominica 

27 

12 

o 

i77i 

Eboe 

do. 

do. 

do. 

Charleston 

40 

O 

o 

i77i 

Calabar 

do. 

do. 

do. 

Dominica 

30 

13 

o 

1772 

Eboe 

do. 

do. 

do. 

Charleston 

39 

15 

o 

1772 

Averages  at 

Charleston  from 

;£5° 

to  ;£54 

Number  of  Negroes  arrived  at  Charleston  that  year  4,500 


2L 


530 


THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 


COPY  OF  ACCOUNT  SALES  OF  NEGROES. 

"  Sales  of  268  Negro  slaves  imported  in  the  ship  African, 
Captain  Thomas  Trader,  from  Malemba,  on  the  acct.  and 
risque  of  Messrs.  John  Cole  &  Co.,  owners  of  the  said  ship, 
merchants  in  Liverpool. 


To  whom  Sold. 

Men.  Women.  Keys. 

Girls. 

Total 

Price. 

£ 

K. 

A. 

3y  |ames  Fisher  

I 

I 

••     35 

o 

O 

John  Miller    

.      ...           ...            I 

I 

••     35 

o 

o 

Augustus  Valtette  

.      ...            ...            I 

I 

..    40 

o 

o 

George  Richards  

.      ...            ...            I 

I 

-     35 

o 

0 

Ditto.            

I 

I 

•      35 

o 

o 

Papley  &  Wade    

103           26        67 

34 

230 

..7820 

0 

o 

Chambers  &  Mead    .. 

5        •••        2 

I 

8 

..  296 

0 

o 

Sloop  Two  Brothers,. 

6 

6 

..  204 

0 

o 

Monsr.  Fontanelle    .. 

2 

2 

@  £36.... 

..     72 

o 

o 

John  Darey  

2 

2 

@/3°— 

..     60 

o 

o 

Ditto  

432 

3 

12 

®£3S~~ 

..  420 

o 

o 

Alexan.  Forceston    .. 

I 

I 

2 

Sickly  .... 

..     30 

o 

o 

Sold  at  Vendue  

I 

I 

C'pt  to  a/c  for 

112        3°      $5        41     268  ^9°82     o    o 

CHARGKS,  viz.  : —  £    s.    d. 

To  Cash  paid  Import  Duty  on  268  Slaves  at  io/  and  Bond  5/  134  5  o 
To  ditto  paid  the  Dr.  his  head  money  on  ditto  at  I2/      ...       13  8  o 
To  ditto  paid  Captain  Trader,  his  Coast  Commission,  at 

/4  per  104  on  ^9082  gross  sales      ...          ...         ...  349  6  2 

To  my  Commission,  at  5  per  cent,  on  the  gross  sales       ...  454  2  o 


To  Messrs.  John  Cole  &  Co.,  owners  of  the  African,  in  account  cur- 


951 


rent  for 


^8130  18    io 


Errors  excepted. 
KINGSTON,  JAMAICA,  ityh  September,  1764. 


Per  WM.  BOYD. 


Messrs.  JOHN  COLE  &°  CO.,  Owners  of  the  Ship  "African,"  in  Acct.  Current 
Dr.  with  WM.  BOYD  &  CO.  Cr. 


£     s.    d. 

To  Amount  of  Sundries  ship- 
ped in   the   African,  per 

Invoice 6384  16  5^ 

To  Balance  of  the  African's 

a/c  of  disbursements,  per 

Capt.  receipt       ...  ..  269     7  3^ 

To  my  draft  on  Snell  &  Co., 

of    London,    for     £1054 

l6s.  6d.  sterling,  Exc.  at 

40  per  cent.,  payable  at 

60  days' sight      1476  15  ij 


£       s.    d 
By    Nt.    Proceeds    of    the 

African's  sales  ...         ...8130  1 8  io 


.£8130  18  io 
Errors  excepted. 
KINGSTON  IN  JAMAICA,  2O//z  September,  1764. 


,£8130  18  io 


PerWM.  BOYD." 


THE  MASSACRE  AT  OLD  CALABAR.  531 

As  few  persons  in  this  country  ever  saw  a  bill  of  lading 
for  human  beings,  shipped  on  board  a  British  vessel 
engaged  in  this  odious  traffic,  we  append  a  copy  of  an 
original  bill  of  lading  for  slaves,  shipped  for  Georgia*:— 

"  o»l)ijxpcb  by  the  grace  of  God,  in  good 
order  and  well  condition'd  by  James  [surname 
illegible],  in  and  upon  the  good  Ship  call'd  the 
MARY    BOROUGH,    whereof    is    Master,    under 
God,  for  this  present  voyage,  Captain  David 
Morton,  and  now  riding  at  Anchor  at  the  Barr 
of    Senegal,   and    by   God's   grace   bound   for 
Georgey,  in    South  Carolina,  to  say,  twenty- 
four  prime   Slaves,   six   prime  women  Slaves, 
being  mark'd  and  number'd  as  in  the  margin, 
and  are  to  be  deliver'd,  in  the  like  good  order 
Marked  on  the     and  well  condition'd,  at  the  aforesaid  Port  of 
Right  Buttock     Georgia,  South  Carolina  (the  danger  of  the  Seas 
O  and    Mortality    only   excepted),   unto    Messrs. 

O  Broughton  and  Smith,  or  to  their  Assigns  ;  he 

or  they  paying  Freight  for  the  said  Slaves  at 
the  rate  of  Five  pounds  sterling  per  head  at 
delivery,  with  Primage  and  Avrage  accustom'd. 
In  WITNESS  whereof,  the  Master  or  Purser  of 
the  said  Ship  hath  affirm'd  to  three  Bills  of 
Lading,  all  of  this  tenor  and  date  ;  the  one  of 
which  three  bills  being  accomplish'd,  the  other 
two  to  stand  void  ;  and  so  God  send  the  good 
ship  to  her  desir'd  port  in  safety,  Amen. 
"Dated  in  Senegal,  ist  February,  1766, 

"  DAVID  MORTON." 

It  will  be  observed  from  the  bill  of  lading,  that  those  slaves 
were  marked  or  branded  with  particular  marks.  The  oper- 
ation of  marking  slaves  was  performed  on  them  by  means  of 

*  The  original  bill  of  lading  was  in  the  possession  of  the  late  Richard  Brooke, 
Esq.,  F.S.A.,  who  printed  it  in  his  "  Liverpool  as  it  was  during  the  last  quarter  of 
the  Eighteenth  Century." 


532  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 

a  heated  iron,  with  as  much  indifference  as  if  they  had 
been  merely  cattle.  Branding  irons,  with  letters  or  marks 
for  branding  slaves,  were  exhibited  for  sale  in  the  shops  of 
Liverpool,  and  no  doubt  they  were  sold  in  the  same  manner 
in  other  seaport  towns  of  the  kingdom.  Mr.  Clarkson  gives 
the  following  description  of  certain  instruments  which  he 
bought  during  his  sojourn  in  Liverpool: — 

"There  were  specimens  of  articles  in  Liverpool,  which  I 
entirely  overlooked  at  Bristol,  and  which,  I  believe,  I  should 
have  overlooked  here  also,  had  it  not  been  for  seeing  them  at 
a  window  in  a  shop.      I  mean  those  of  different  iron  instruments 
used  in  this  cruel  traffic.      I  bought  a  pair  of  the  iron  handcuffs 
with  which  the  men  slaves  are  confined.     The  right-hand  wrist 
of  one,  and  the  left  of  another,  are  almost  brought  into  contact 
by  these,  and  fastened  together  by  a  little  bolt  with  a  small 
padlock  at  the  end  of  it.       I  bought  also  a  pair  of  shackles  for 
the  legs.     The  right,  ancle  of  one  man  is  fastened  to  the  left  of 
another,  by  similar  means.      I  bought   these,  not  because  it 
was    difficult   to    conceive    how    the    unhappy    victims  of  this 
execrable  trade  were  confined,  but  to  show  the  fact  that  they 
were  so.     For  what  was  the  inference  from  it,  but  that  they 
did    not    leave  their  own  country   willingly  ;  that    when    they 
were  in  the  holds  of  the  slave  vessels,  they  were  not  in  the 
Elysium    which    had    been    represented  ;  and  that  there  was 
a  fear,  either  that  they  would  make  their  escape,  or  punish 
their  oppressors.      I  bought  also  a  thumb-screw  at  this  shop. 
The    thumbs    are    put    into    this   instrument  through  the  two 
circular  holes  at  the  top  of  it.     By  turning  a  key,  a  bar  rises 
up  by  means  of  a  screw,  and  the  pressure  upon  them  becomes 
painful.      'By  turning  it  further,  you  may  make  the  blood  start 
from  the  ends  of  them.     By  taking  the  key  away,  you  leave 
the  tortured  person  in  agony,  without  any  means  of  extricating 
himself,  or  of  being  extricated  by  others.     This  screw,  as   I 
was  then  informed,  was  applied  by  way  of  punishment  in  case 
of  obstinacy  in  the  slaves,  or  for  any  other  reputed  offence,  at 
the    discretion    of  the  captain.     At  the  same  place  I  bought 


THE  MASSACRE  AT  OLD  CALABAR.  533 

another  instrument  which  I  saw.  It  was  called  a  speculum 
oris.  This  instrument  is  known  among"  surgeons,  having  been 
invented  to  assist  them  in  wrenching  open  the  mouth,  as  in 
the  case  of  a  locked  jaw.  But  it  had  got  into  use  in  this  trade. 
On  asking  the  seller  of  the  instruments  on  what  occasion  it 
was  used  there,  he  replied,  that  the  slaves  were  frequently  so 
sulky,  as  to  shut  their  mouths  against  all  sustenance,  and  this 
with  a  determination  to  die  ;  and  that  it  was  necessary  their 
mouths  should  be  forced  open  to  throw  in  nutriment,  that  they 
who  had  purchased  them  might  incur  no  loss  by  their  death." 

The  slave-captains  sometimes  got  into  awkward  scrapes 
with  the  natives.  Captain  James  Berry,  of  Liverpool, 
gives  the  following  remarkable  account  of  his  being  taken 
prisoner  : — 

"  On  board  Brig  Dalrimple  Old  Callabar  April  3,  1763 
This  is  to  acquaint  all  gentlemen  that  it  may  fall  into  the 
hands  of  that  on  the  30  of  Jany  I  arrived  hear  in  a  small 
vessell  came  too  at  7  Fathom  Point  wrote  up  to  Abashey 
finding  no  vessell  their  I  imagined  the  might  Lett  me  stay 
paying  a  small  acknowledgement  to  the  King  the  Duke  and 
some  of  the  Heads*Abashey  came  down  and  prevaild  on  me  to 
go  up  the  River  I  accordingly  went  up  that  night  next  morning 
according  to  custom  went  ashore  to  shake  the  Kings  and  the 
Rest  of  the  getlemen  Hands  made  my  proposalls  which  was 
af  first  Refuse'd  but  after  standing  out  about  fifteen  Day 
aggreed  to  pay  1000  Coppers  among's  them  all  the  King  and 
Duke  each  65  Crs  the  rest  of  the  Gentlemen  in  proportion  I 
gott  pledges  out  of  the  Kings  Town  Dukes  and  Tom  Hen- 
shaws  Likewise  there  cairn  as  tokens  of  their  Honour^Robin 
John  Town  Refused  me  a  son  for  pledge  but  thought  I  had 
sufficient  security  on  the  Second  of  March  was  much  out  of 
order  and  Had  been  for  four  Days  before  that  was  unfortunate 


The  leading  people  of  Old  Town,  Calabar,  were  the  King,  the  Duke,  Ephraim 


534  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 

enough  to  go  down  the  River  to  gett  a  little  air  thinking 
their  was  no  Danger  of  being  molested  by  any  Body  haveing 
the  Kings  Sons  Duks  and  Tom  Henshaw's  Egbyoung  Antera 
in  the  Boat  with  me  but  no  sooner  gott  the  Lenght  of  Old 
Town  but  that  Rouge  Ephm.  Robin  John  Joined  by  Rn.  John  Tom 
R".  Capt".  John  Ambo  and  the  Rest  of  that  Town  sent  ten 
canoos  full  of  people  and  took  me  out  of  my  Boat  by  force 
hauld  me  over  nine  into  the  Tenth  the  first  vilain  that  I  was 
recd  by  was  Tom  Rn.  who  told  me  it  was  very  well  I  was 
come  it  had  saved  them  the  Trouble  of  fetching  me  out  of  my 
ship  Ephm.  came  on  board  my  vesell  the  night  before  that 
with  that  design  only  I  was  at  that  time  very  bad  but  had 
intended  to  have  come  again  in  a  day  or  two  they  haveing 
counted  all  my  people  and  pitched  upon  their  Boys  for  the 
seaing  my  people  seeing  so  few  and  three  or  four  of  them  at 
that  time  sick  while  the  took  me  bo  force  and  putt  me  in  the 
canooe  he  kept  me  on  shore  29  Day  and  obliged  me  to  pay 
him  and  the  Rest  of  the  Scounclrells  just  what  he  pleas'd  the 
amount  of  his  imposition  is  4251  Copper  besid's  him  takeing  in 
spight  of  all  I  cood  do  one  of  my  great  guns  which  I  have 
given  the  Duke  an  order  for  if  he  can  possably  get  it  he 
Likewise  has  gott  three  of  my  musquetts  two  Blunderbusses  2 
pistolls  2  cutlasses  and  two  of  my  Jacketts  the  Black  Boys  had 
on  that  was  in  the  Boat  with  me  he  oblig'd  me  to  give  severall 
Books  and  one  to  clear  him  of  all  palaver  with  me  which  for 
sake  of  getting  on  board  my  vesell  wood  have  given  him  any 
Books  he  wanted  but  the  air  all  of  no  signification  I  immagine 
any  Gentleman  wodd  do  the  same  was  it  their  case.  On  the 
22nd  of  Mar  the  King  the  Duke  Solomon  Henshaw  and  the 
Rest  of  the  Gentlemen  of  the  other  party  come  on  board  with 
98  slaves  the  seeing  how  I  was  Imposed  on  by  those  Rascalls 
made  my  mate  count  all  the  good  in  my  ship  Abashey  made 
Trade  and  Bought  me  47  slave  all  of  which  was  good  only  one 
woman  and  I  believe  did  me  justice  in  every  thing  the  Duke 
carried  ashore  with  him  605  Copper  to  buy  yammes  which  he 
sent  me  as  fast  as  he  cood  gett  them  I  doant  Blame  any  of 
them  for  what  the  did  seeing-  the  vilanious  intentions  of  the 


THE  MASSACRE  AT  OLD  CALABAR.  535 

Old  Town  Scoundrells  but  never  will  for  give  the  injury  Ephm 
and  the  rest  of  them  did  me  till  I  have  satisfaction. 

I  am  the  Gentleman 

Hum'6  Serv' 

JAMES  BERRY." 

In  1767,  there  was  a  strong  competition  between  the  ports 
of  Bristol  and  Liverpool  in  the  trade  to  the  coast  of  Africa. 
The  inconveniences  and  dangers  attendant  on  that  branch  of 
traffic  are  described  in  the  following  extract  of  a  letter  from 
Old  Calabar,  dated  August  I2th,  1767: — 

"  We  had  a  tolerable  good  passage  of  three  weeks  and  five 
days.  There  are  now  seven  large  vessels  in  the  river,  each  of 
which  expects  to  purchase  500  slaves,  and  I  imagine  there._was 
seldom  ever  known  a  greater  scarcity  of  slaves  than  at  present, 
and  these  few  chiefly  from  the  low  country.  The  natives  are  at 
variance  with  each  other,  and,  in  my~5pTnion,  it  will  never  be 
ended  before  the  destruction  of  all  the  people  at  Old  Town,  who 
have  taken  the  lives  of  many  a  fine  fellow.  Captain  Hutton's 
chief  mate  had  the  misfortune  to  suffer  under  their  vile  hands; 
but  I  now  flatter  myself,  I  shall  be  an  assistant  in  revenging 
the  just  cause  of  every  poor  Englishman  that  have  innocently 
suffered  by  them. 

"The  river  of  late  has  been  very  fatal  both  to  whites  and 
blacks.  There  have  three  captains  belonging  to  Bristol  died 
within  these  few  months,  besides  a  number  of  officers  and  sailors. 
I  assure  you,  I  never  saw  a  worse  prospect  in  my  life  for 
making  a  voyage  than  at  present.  The  major  part  of  the 
vessels  here  have  very  dangerous  disorders  amongst  the  slaves, 
which  makes  me  rejoice  that  I  have  very  few  on  board.  I  do 
not  expect  that  our  stay  here  will  exceed  eight  months.  The 
adjoining  coasts  of  trade  seem  all  to  be  very  much  thronged 
with  shipping,  except  the  Gold  Coast,  the  bad  effects  of  which, 
I  am  afraid,  the  Liverpool  gentlemen  must  feel  this  season."* 

In  the  year  1767,  a  terrible  affair,  which  seems  to  be 
hinted  at  in  the  preceding  letter,  known  as  the  massacre 

*  "  Troughton's  History  of  Liverpool,"  p.  143. 


538  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 

at  Calabar,  took  place.  The  details  are  drawn  from  copies 
of  the  original  depositions,  in  the  case  of  the  King  against 
Lippincott  and  others,  supplied  to  Mr.  Clarkson  by  Mr. 
Henry  Sulgar,  a  Moravian  minister  at  Bristol.  The 
originals  were  sworn  before  Jacob  Kirby  and  Thomas 
Symons,  commissioners  at  Bristol  for  taking  affidavits,  by 
Captain  Floyd,  of  the  city  of  Bristol,  who  had  been  a  witness 
to  the  tragedy,  and  of  Ephraim  Robin  John  and  Ancona 
Robin  Robin  John,  two  African  chiefs,  who  had  been 
sufferers  by  it.  It  appears  from  these  documents,  that  in  the 
year  1767,  the  ships,  Indian  Queen,  Duke  of  York,  Nancy, 
and  Concord,  of  Bristol,  the  Edgar,  of  Liverpool,  and  the 
Canterbury,  of  London,  lay  in  Old  Calabar  river.  A 
quarrel,  originating  in  a  jealousy  respecting  slaves,  existed 
at  this  time  between  the  principal  inhabitants  of  Old 
Town,  and  those  of  New  Town,  Old  Calabar.  The 
captains  of  the  vessels  before  mentioned  joined  in  sending 
several  letters  to  the  inhabitants  of  Old  Town,  but  parti- 
cularly to  Ephraim  Robin  John,  who  was  at  that  time 
a  grandee,  or  principal  man  of  the  place.  The  tenor  of 
these  letters  was,  that  they  were  sorry  that  any  jealousy 
or  quarrel  should  subsist  between  the  two  parties  ;  that 
if  the  inhabitants  of  Old  Town  would  come  on  board, 
they  would  afford  them  security  and  protection  ;  adding,  at  the 
same  time,  that  their  intention  in  inviting  them  was  that 
they  might  become  mediators  and  thus  heal  their  disputes. 

The  inhabitants  of  Old  Town  joyfully  accepted  the 
invitation.  The  three  brothers  of  the  chief,  Ephraim  Robin 
John,  the  eldest  of  whom  was  Amboe  Robin  John,  first 
entered  their  canoe,  attended  by  twenty-seven  persons,  and 
being  followed  by  nine  canoes,  directed  their  course  to  the 
Indian  Queen.  They  were  dispatched  from  thence  the  next 
morning  to  the  Edgar,  and  afterwards  to  the  Duke  of  York, 
on  board  of  which  they  went,  leaving  their  canoe  and 
attendants  alongside  of  the  same  vessel.  In  the  meantime, 


THE  MASSACRE  AT  OLD  CALABAR.  537 

the  people  on  board  the  other  canoes  were  either  distributed 
on  board,  or  lying  close  to  the  other  ships. 

This  being  the  situation  of  the  three  brothers,  and  of  the 
leading  people  of  the  place,  the  treachery  now  began  to 
appear.  The  crew  of  the  Duke  of  York,  aided  by  the  captain 
and  mates,  and  armed  with  pistols  and  cutlasses,  rushed 
into  the  cabin  with  an  intent  to  seize  the  persons  of  their 
three  unsuspicious  guests.  The  unhappy  men,  alarmed  at 
this  violation  of  the  rights  of  hospitality,  and  struck  with 
astonishment  at  the  behaviour  of  their  supposed  friends 
and  peacemakers,  attempted  to  escape  through  the  cabin 
windows,  but  being  wounded,  were  obliged  to  desist  and  to 
submit  to  be  put  in  irons.  While  this  atrocious  act  was  in 
progress,  an  order  was  given  to  fire  upon  the  canoe,  which 
was  then  lying  alongside  of  the  Duke  of  York.  The  canoe 
soon  filled  and  sank,  and  the  wretched  attendants  were 
either  seized,  killed,  or  drowned.  Most  of  the  other  ships 
followed  the  example.  Great  numbers  were  thus  added 
to  the  killed  and  drowned  on  the  occasion,  while  others 
attempted  to  escape  by  swimming  to  the  shore.  But  at  this 
juncture,  the  inhabitants  of  New  Town,  who  had  concealed 
themselves  in  the  bushes  by  the  waterside,  and  between 
whom  and  the  commanders  of  the  vessels  the  plan  had 
been  previously  arranged,  came  out  of  their  hiding  places, 
and,  embarking  in  their  canoes,  made  for  such  as  were 
swimming  from  the  fire  of  the  ships.  The  ships'  boats  also 
were  manned,  and  joined  in  the  pursuit.  They  butchered 
the  greatest  part  of  those  whom  they  caught.  Many  dead 
bodies  were  soon  seen  upon  the  sands,  and  others  floating 
upon  the  water.  Including  those  who  were  seized  and 
carried  off,  and  those  who  were  drowned  and  killed,  either 
by  the  firing  of  the  ships,  or  by  the  people  of  New  Town, 
the  number  lost  to  the  inhabitants  of  Old  Town  on  that  day 
was  three  hundred  souls.  The  carnage  was  scarcely  over 
when  a  canoe,  full  of  the  principal  people  of  New  Town 


538  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 

who  had  promoted  the  massacre,  dropped  alongside  of  the 
Duke  of  York.  They  demanded  the  person  of  Amboe 
Robin  John,  the  brother  of  the  chief  of  Old  Town,  and  the 
eldest  of  the  three  on  board.  The  unfortunate  man  put  the 
palms  of  his  hands  together,  and  beseeched  the  commander 
of  the  vessel  that  he  would  not  violate  the  rights  of 
hospitality  by  giving  up  an  unoffending  stranger  to  his 
enemies.  But  no  entreaties  could  prevail.  The  commander 
received  from  the  New  Town  people  a  slave,  of  the  name  of 
Econg,  in  his  stead,  and  then  forced  Amboe  Robin  John 
into  the  canoe,  where  his  head  was  immediately  struck  off 
in  the  sight  of  the  crew,  and  of  his  afflicted  brothers.  As 
for  them,  they  escaped  his  fate,  but  they  were  carried  off, 
with  their  attendants,  to  the  West  Indies,  and  sold  into 
slavery. 

The  action  of  the  captains  has  never  been  defended  ;  but 
we  must  not  forget  that  they  were  dealing  with  a  shifty, 
greedy,  and  treacherous  lot  of  rascals,  who  made  a  practice 
of  selling  their  own  countrymen  into  slavery.  The  delays 
and  subterfuges  resorted  to  by  the  native  chiefs  to  enhance 
the  price  of  slaves,  and  to  extract  more  "coomey,"  must 
have  been  extremely  exasperating  to  the  slave  commanders, 
whose  lives  and  cargoes  were  imperilled  by  a  prolonged 
bargaining,  owing  to  the  climate,  and  the  possible  outbreak 
of  disease  among  the  slaves  cooped  up  in  the  hold,  before 
they  left  the  coast  and  entered  upon  the  horrors  of  the  sea 
passage.  The  following  copies  of  papers  belonging  to 
the  commander  of  the  Edgar,  show  that  the  chiefs  were  in 
his  debt,  and  that  they  exonerated  him  from  the  charge  of 
kidnapping  a  boy  named  Assogua.  Moreover,  certain 
letters  from  the  chiefs  of  Old  Town,  Calabar,  addressed  to 
the  captain,  prove  that  they  held  him  and  his  family  in  the 
highest  esteem,  notwithstanding  the  fact  that  the  Edgar 
was  present  in  the  unfortunate  tragedy  of  1767.  Whether 
this  is  to  be  attributed  to  the  innocence  of  the  captain, 


THE  MASSACRE  AT  OLD  CALABAR. 


539 


who  was  at  all  events  a  worthy  citizen  of  Liverpool,  or  to 
the  abnormal  development  of  Christian  charity  and  for- 
giveness in  the  African  chiefs  and  man-stealers  of  Old 
Calabar,  let  the  reader  determine  for  himself:— 

"An  Ace',  of  Goods  and  Slaves  Owing  to  the  ship  Edgar 
from  the  Traders  of  Old  Town  as  under  : 


"  Archibong  Robin  John  five  slaves  Goods 

Co* 
20  Iron  5  Nicconees  5  Brawels  155 

4  Romaics  3  Cushtaes  2  Photes  106 

8  B. Pipes  5  Flagons  50  Rods  102 

3  Basons  4  Guinea  stuffs  25 

3  Blunderbus's  8  Kegs  112 

500  J 


Dr 


Rec*  Nothing 


24th  July  1767  Goods  for  5  slaves. 

Received  a  further  trust  10  rods  i  Nicconee  20 


Co 

8 


"Orrock  Robin  John  Dr 

23rd  July    1767   To  i  Keg  of  Powder 

By  a  boy  left  on  board  name 
Asuqu  not  stoped  by  me  as 
Orrok  says  nor  was  Orrock's 
son 


"  Ambo  Robin  John 

August  7.  1767  To  Goods  for  two  men  slaves 

Co 
2  Blunderbs5  3  Kegs  8  Iron  i  Nicconee       98 

2  Brawels  i  Cushtae  2  Romaics  44 

i  Photac  2  Flagons  2  basons  3  Pipe  bds     44 


Dr 


10  Rods  8  Chints 


18 


204 


>Recd  Nothing 


*  "  Co."  means  cowries,  small  shells  brought  from  the  East  Indies,  and  used  by 
the  natives  as  substitutes  for  coin.  Meneles,  maniloes,  or  manillas  were  orna- 
ments for  the  wrists  and  ancles.  Romalls  (or  romales),  niccannees,  cushtaes, 
photes,  photacs,  or  photaes,  chellos,  and  Guinea  stuffs,  were  Manchester  and 


540  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 

"Ephraim  Robin  John 

Co 
July  23rd    1767    To  20  Rods   i    Romaic 

4  Basons  4  L.  Meneles  48 

i  Neganepaut  i  Blunderbus  20  Rods  i  Baft 

12  Knives  74 


24th  To  Goods  for  2  men  slaves  as  under 


Co 


4   Kegs  8   Iron   2   Nicconees   2   Brawels 

i  Cushtae  104 

1  Romaic  i  Photac  16  Chello  4  bg  Pipe  bds     60 

2  bg  Red  2  G.  Stuffs  i  Flagon  14  rods  36 


Dr 


Nothing 


Recd  Nothins 


"  John  Robin  John 

July  7th  1767  To  10  rods  i  Nicconee 
6  Romaic 
Augt  2                To   8  Chello   i  hatt  i 
Jug  brandy 

Co 

i 

26 
16 

Dr 
>Recd  Nothing 

Co 
"Augt     i,     1767    Otto    Rob.    John    Dr 

To  5  Rords      5       Recd  Nothing 

do  Tom  Andrew  Honesty,          do  5          do  do 

July    3oth    Robin  John  6  L  Meneles    i 

Rom  1 8         do          do 

Augt  ist  Rob.  Rob.  Jno.  i  Keg  2  Caps 

i  Shenda  i  Br  20         do  do 

All  Coppers  makes.     240  and  9  slaves  makes   1 1   slaves  and 
20  Copers  Tom  Robin  had  makes  near  12  slaves  " 


Indian  fabrics.  Brass  and  copper  kettles  and  pans,  pewter  basons,  iron  pots,  bars 
of  lead,  bars  and  rods  of  iron,  shallow  brass  pans,  called  "Neptunes,"  for  prepar- 
ing salt  out  of  sea  water ;  plates,  dishes,  mugs,  basons,  wine  glasses,  tumblers, 
decanters,  knives,  spoons,  razors,  soap,  gunpowder,  muskets,  brandy,  rum,  beads, 
trinkets,  worsted  caps,  laced  hats,  looking-glasses,  cottons,  calicoes,  chintz,  silks, 
slops,  salt,  fish-hooks,  axes,  hatchets,  cutlasses,  carpets,  handkerchiefs,  felt  hats, 
scarlet  jackets  ;  all  these  formed  part  of  a  Guinea  cargo,  to  be  bartered  for  "  prime 
negroes." 


THE  MASSACRE  AT  OLD  CALABAR.  541 

"  OLD  CALABAR,  August  22,  1776 

"This  is  to  certify  whom  it  doth  or  may  concern  that  the 
within  is  a  True  List  of  Debts  owing-  by  the  Natives  of  Old 
Town  to  Captain  Lace  of  Liverpoole,  and  that  the  Boy  named 
Assogua  was  not  stoped  by  Captain  Lace  has  as  been 
Reported,  but  was  put  on  board  by  Orrock  Robin  John  unto 
whom  he  belonged,  and  that  Captain  Lace  carried  him  of 
for  the  within  debts,  because  we  made  no  application  for  him 
nor  did  we  even  offer  to  Redeem  him  whilst  the  ship  staid  in 
the  River,  as  Witness  our  hands 
Witness  his 

John  Richards  King  X  George 

James  Hargraves  mark 

his 
Jno.  X  Robin  John 

mark 
Otto  Ephraim 

his 

Orrock  Robin  X  Jonn 
mark  " 

Another  signature  is  also  appended  which  is  undecipher- 
able. 

The  following  letter  written  by  the  former  captain  of  the 
Edgar  to  Mr.  Thomas  Jones,  a  Bristol  owner  of  slave-ships, 
seems  to  have  some  reference  to  the  two  brothers  carried  off 
after  the  massacre  in  1767  : — 

"LIVERPOOL,  \\th  November,  1773 
"  MR.  THOS.  JONES, 

"  SIR, — Yours  of  7th  I  received  wherein  you  disire  I  will 
send  an  Affidavit  concerning  the  two  black  men  you  mention, 
Little  Epm-  and  Ancoy,  in  what  manner  the  ware  taken  off  the 
coast,  and  that  I  know  them  to  be  Brothers  to  Grandy  Epm- 
Robin  John;  as  to  little  Epm-  I  remember  him  very  well,  as  to 
Ancoy  Rob.  Rob.  John  I  cant  recolect  I  ever  saw  him.  I 
knew  old  Robin  John  the  Father  of  Grandy  Epm-  and  I  think 
all  the  Family,  but  never  found  that  little  Epm-  was  one  of  Old 


542  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 

Robins  sons,  and  as  to  Rob.  Rob.  John  he  was  not  Old  Rob. 
Johns  son.  Old  Robin  took  Rob.  Rob.  J"°-  mother  for  a  wife 
when  Robin  Rob.  J"°4  was  a  boy  of  6  or  eight  years  old,  and  as 
to  Rob.  Rob.  J"°-  hen  ever  had  a  son  that  I  heard  of.  You 
know  very  well  the  custom  of  that  place  whatever  Man  or 
Woman  gos  to  live  in  any  family  the  take  the  Name  of  the 
first  man  in  the  family  and  call  him  Father,  how  little  Epm- 
came  into  the  family  I  cant  tell,  and  as  to  what  ship  they  came 
off  the  coast  in  I  know  no  more  than  you,  therefore,  cant  make 
Affidavit  Eather  to  their  being-  Brothers  to  Grandy  Epm-  or  the 
manner  he  was  brought  off  the  Coast,  as  to  Grandy  Epm-  you 
know  very  well  has  been  Guilty  of  so  many  bad  Actons,  no 
man  can  say  anything  in  his  favour,  a  History  of  his  life  would 
exceed  any  of  our  Pirates,  the  whole  sett  at  Old  Town  you 
know  as  well  as  me.  I  brought  young  Ep1"-  home,  and  had 
him  at  School  near  two  years,  then  sent  him  out,  he  cost  me 
above  sixty  pounds  and  when  his  Fathers  gone  I  hope  the 
son  will  be  a  good  man.  As  to  Mr.  Floyd  he  says  more  then 
I  ever  knew  or  heard  of  hes  in  many  Errors,  even  in  the  Name 
of  the  vessell  I  was  in  hes  wrong,  there  was  no  such  a  ship  as 
the  Hector  while  I  was  at  Callebarr,  a  man  should  be 
carefull  when  on  Oath,  how  he  knows  the  two  men  to  be 
brothers  to  Ep"1.  I  cant  tell,  I  have  several  times  had  the 
pedigree  of  all  the  familys  from  Abashey  the  foregoing  acct. 
of  Rob.  Rob.  was  from  him,  but  to  prove  the  two  men  to 
be  Epms-  brothers  I  dont  know  how  you  will  do  it,  I  assure  you 
I  dont  think  they  are,  if  you  think  to  send  a  vessell  to  Old 
Town  it  might  ansr  for  you  to  purchas  the  two  men  I  once 
bog'  (bought)  one  at  Jamaica  a  man  of  no  consiquance  in  family 
but  it  ansrd  the  Expence. 

I  am  Sir  your  hbl  Serv1' 


"  P.S. — I  left  the  duke  of  York  and  Indian  Queen  at  Callebarr." 

Copy  of  a  letter  from  "Grandy  King  George,"  King  of 
the  Old  Town  Tribe,  addressed  to  "Mr.  Ambrose  Lace 
and  Companey,  Marchents  in  Liverpool  "  : — 


THE  MASSACRE  AT  OLD  CALABAR.  543 

"  OULD  TOWN,  OULD  CALLABAR,  January  13,  1773 

"  MARCHANT  LACE,  SR, — I  take  this  opertunety  of  Wright- 
ing  to  you  and  to  aquant  you  of  the  behaveor  of  Sum  ships 
Lately  in  my  water  there  was  Capt  Bishop  of  Bristol  and  Capt. 
Jackson  of  Liverpool  laying1  in  the  river  when  Capt  Sharp 
arived  and  wanted  to  purchese  his  cargo  as  I  supose  he  ought 
to  do  but  this  Bishop  and  Jackson  cunsoulted  not  to  let  him 
slave  with  out  he  payed  the  same  Coomey*  that  thy  did  thy  sent 
him  out  of  the  River  so  he  went  to  the  Camoroons  and  was 
away  two  munths  then  he  arived  in  my  water  again  and  thy 
still  isisted  upon  his  paying1  the  Coomey  acordingly  he  did  a 
Nuff  to  Blind  them  so  I  gave  him  slaves  to  his  content  and  so 
did  all  my  peeple,  till  he  was  full  and  is  now  ready  to  sail  only 
weats  for  to  have  a  fue  afairs  sattled  and  this  sail  be  don  before 
he  sails  to  his  sattisfection,  and  now  he  may  very  well  Laffe  at 
them  that  was  so  much  his  Enemeys  before,  for  that  same  day 
thy  sent  him  out  of  the  River  this  Jackson  and  Bishop  and  a 
brig  that  was  [tender?]  to  Jackson  at  night  began  to  fire  at  my 
town  without  the  least  provecation  and  continued  it  for  twenty- 
four  hours  for  which  I  gave  them  two  cows  but  it  seemed  as 
after  words  Jackson  confirmed  that  Bishop  and  him  was  to  cary 
away  all  our  pawns  as  it  was  lickely  true  for  Jackson  did  cary 
of  his  but  more  than  that  before  he  sailed  he  tould  me  that  if  I 
went  on  bord  of  Bishop  I  shuld  be  stoped  by  him  and  my  hed 
cut  of  and  sent  to  the  Duke  at  Nuetown,  but  I  put  that 
out  of  his  power  for  to  cut  of  my  hed  or  cary  of  the  pawns 
by  stoping  his  boats  and  sum  of  his  peeple  and  so  I  would 
Jackson  had  I  known  his  entent  when  he  informed  me  of  Bishop, 
but  he  took  care  not  to  divulge  his  own  secrets  which  he  was 
much  to  bleam  if  he^did  so  my  friend  marchant  Lace  if  you  Send 
ship  to  my  water  again  Send  good  man  all  same  your  Self  or 
same  marchant  black,  f  No  Send  ould  man  or  man  want  to  be 

*  Coomey  was  the  duty  paid  to  the  King  for  the  privilege  of  trading. 

t  Patrick  Black,  one  of  the  oldest  sea  captains  of  the  port  of  Liverpool. 
Troughton,in  his  History,  dedicated  to  him  a  view  of  Woodside  Ferry.  "  An  Old 
Staler"  gives  the  following  amusing  account  of  "  Marchant  Black,"  when  he  lived 
in  Duke  Street :  "  Picture  to  yourselves  a  kind  and  venerable  man,  in  a  cloak 
enveloping  his  whole  body  from  head  to  foot,  a  gold-headed  cane  in  his  hand,  and 


544  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 

grandy  man,  if  he  want  to  be  grandy- man  let  he  stand  home  for 
marchant  one  time,  no  let  him  com  heare  or  all  Same  Capt 
Sharp  he  very  good  man,  but  I  no  tell  before  that  time  Capt. 
Sharp  go  to  Camoroons  he  left  his  mate  till  he  came  back  again, 
so  they  say  I  do  bad  for  them  but  I  will  leave  you  to  Jude  that 
for  if  any  ship  fire  at  my  town  I  will  fire  for  ship  again  Marchant 
Lace  Sr  there  is  Mr  Canes  Capt.  Sharp  and  second  mate  a 
young  man  and  a  very  good  man  he  is  very  much  Liked  by  me 
and  all  my  peeple  of  Callabar,  so  if  you  plase  to  sand  him  he 
will  make  as  quick  a  dispatch  as  any  man  you  can  send  and  I 
believe  as  much  to  your  advantage  for  I  want  a  good  many  ship 
to  cum,  for  the  more  ships  the  more  treade  wee  have  for  them 
for  the  New  town  peeple  and  has  blowed  abuncko  for  no  ship 
to  go  from  my  water  to  them  nor  any  to  cum  from  them  to  me 
tho  Bishop  is  now  lying  in  Cross  River  but  thy  only  lat  him 
stay  till  this  pelaver  is  satteled  for  I  have  ofered  him  10  slaves 
to  Readeem  the  Pawns  and  let  him  have  his  white  people,  but 
he  will  not  for  I  dount  want  to  do  any  bad  thing  to  him  or  any 
ship  that  cums  to  my  water  but  there  is  4  of  my  sons  gone 
allredy  with  Jackson  and  I  dont  want  any  more  of  them  caried 
of  by  any  other  vausell  the  coomy  in  all  for  my  water  now  is  24 
thousand  coprs  besidges  hats  case  and  ship  gun,  Marchant  Lace 
1  did  as  you  bob  me  for  Lettrs  when  this  tend'  com  I  no  chop 

a  wig.  Oh  !  such  a  wig,  a  regular  wig  of  wigs,  as  white  as  the  whitest  of  hair- 
powder  could  make  it,  of  a  transcendental  cauliflower  appearance,  and  in  size  far 
beyond  the  proportions  of  the  largest  Sunday  wig  assigned  to  Dr.  Johnson  in  the 
pictures  which  have  come  clown  to  us.  We  recollect  once,  when  about  some  six 
years  old,  getting  into  an  awful  scrape  about  this  said  venerable  gentleman  and  his 
megatherium  wig.  We  were  walking  with  a  small  friend  of  our  own  age  and 
inches,  when  suddenly  the  apparition  of  Mr.  Patrick  Black,  arrayed  as  we  have 
described  him,  came  in  sight.  Our  admiration,  as  usual,  burst  forth  in  the  far 
from  respectful  and  almost  profane  exclamation,  'There  goes  old  Black  with 
his  white  wig.'  Hardly  were  the  words  out  of  our  mouth,  when  a  gentle  tap 
came  upon  our  shoulders,  and  a  soft  whisper  fell  upon  our  ear.  '  Master  Aspinall, 
if  it  would  be  any  particular  pleasure  to  you,  I  will  ask  my  father  to  wear  a  black 
wig  in  future.'  We  looked  round,  and  O  !  horror  of  horrors  !  were  we  not  thrown 
into  real  agonies  and  almost  hysterics,  when,  in  the  person  uttering  this  mild 
remonstrance,  we  recognised  the  daughter  of  the  old  gentleman,  whose  wig  we  had 
been  blaspheming?  We  stammered  and  hammered  at  an  excuse,  and  then  ran  for 
our  life.  And  for  many  a  long  day  we  disappeared  round  the  nearest  corner  as 
quickly  as  possible,  if  any  of  the  Black  family  came  in  sight  of  us  in  our  walks. 
The  joke,  however,  got  wind  and  it  was  long  before  our  martyrdom  and  perse- 
cution ceased,  even  in  our  own  circle,  where  '  Old  Black  with  his  white  wig  was 
thrown  into  our  teeth  whenever  we  were  inclined  to  be  obstreperous  and  naughty.'" 


THE  MASSACRE  AT  OLD  CALABAR.  545 

for  all  man  for  you  bob  me  No  Chop  to  times  for  bionbi  I  back 
to  much  Copr  for  Coomy  so  I  do  all  same  you  bob  me  who  make 
my  father  grandy  no  more  white  man  so  now  marchant  Lace 
send  good  ship  and  make  me  grandy  again  for  war  take  two 
much  copr  from  me  who  man  trade  like  me  that  time  it  be  peace 
or  break  book  like  me  so  Marchent  Lace  if  you  Send  ship  now 
and  good  cargo  I  will  be  bound  shee  no  stand  long  before  shee 
full  for  go  away." 

The  following   is  another  lucid  passage  from  "Grandy 
King  George's"  correspondence  : — 

"And  now  war  be  don  Wee  have  all  the  Trade  true  the 
Cuntry  so  that  wee  want  nothing  but  ships  to  Incorige  us  and 
back  us  to  cary  it  on  so  I  hope  you  and  marchant  Black  wount 
Lat  ous  want  for  that  In  Curigement  Or  the  other  marchants  of 
that  Pleasce  thut  has  a  mind  for  to  send  their  ships  thy  shall  be 
used  with  Nothing  but  Sivellety  and  fare  trade  other  Captns  may 
say  what  they  Please  about  my  doing  them  any  bad  thing  for 
what  I  did  was  thier  own  faults  for  you  may  think  Sr  that  it  was 
vary  vaxing  to  have  my  sons  caried  of  by  Capt"  Jackson  and 
Robbin  sons  and  the  King  of  Qua  son  thier  names  is  Otto  Im- 
bass  Egshiom  Enick  Ogen  Acandom  Ebetham  Ephiyoung  Aset 
and  to  vex  ous  more  the  time  that  wee  ware  fireing  at  each  other 
thy  hisseted  [hoisted  ?]  on  of  our  sons  to  the  yard  arm  of  Bishop 
and  another  to  Jacksons  yard  arm  and  then  would  cary  all  of 
them  away  and  cut  of  my  hed  if  it  had  not  been  Prevented  in 
time  and  yet  thy  say  I  do  them  bad  only  stoping  Sum  of  thier 
peeple  till  I  get  my  Pawns  from  them  Marchant  Lace  when  you 
Send  a  ship  send  drinking  horns  for  Coomey  and  sum  fine  white 
mugs  and  sum  glass  tanckards  with  Leds  to  them  Send  Pleanty 
of  ship  guns  the  same  as  Sharp  had  I  dount  care  if  there  was  2 
or  3  on  a  Slave  Send  one  Chints  for  me  of  a  hundrerd  yard  °  i 
Neckonees  of  one  hundrd  yards  i  photar  of  a  hundrd  y's  i  Ream- 
all  i  hund.  yards  one  Cushita  of  a  hundred  yds  one  well  baft  of 
the  same  Send  sum  Leaced  hats  for  trade  and  Vicor  bottles  and 
cases  to  much  [to  match  ?]  for  all  be  gon  for  war  Send  sum 

Lucking  glasses  at  2  Coprs  and  4  Coprs  for  trade  and  Coomey  to 
2M 


546  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 

and  send  Planty  of  hack  and  Bally  for  Trade  and  Comey  and 
Small  Bells  Let  them  be  good  ones  and  send  sum  Lango  Sum 
Large  and  sum  small  and  sum  Curl  beads  Send  me  one  Lucking 
glass  six  foot  long  and  six  foot  wide  Let  it  have  a  strong  woden 
freme  Send  two  small  Scrustones  that  their  Leds  may  Lift  up 
send  Plenty  of  Cutlashs  for  Coomey  of  2  Cop"  price  Let  your 
Indgey  goods  be  Right  good  and  your  ship  no  stand  long  send 
me  one  table  and  six  Chears  for  my  house  and  one  two  arm 
Schere  for  my  Salf  to  sat  in  and  12  Puter  plates  and  4  dishes  12 
Nifes  and  12  forcks  and  2  Large  table  spoons  and  a  trowen  and 
one  Pear  of  ballonses  2  brass  Juggs  with  thier  Cisers  (?)  to  lift 
the  same  as  a  tanckard  and  two  Copr  ones  the  same  two  brass 
falagons  of  two  gallons  each  Pleanty  for  trade  of  puter  ones 
Send  Plenty  of  Puter  Jugs  for  trade  send  me  two  Large  brass 
beasons  and  puter  ones  for  trade  Send  me  one  close  stool  and 
Send  me  one  Large  Red  [illegible]  Send  me  one  gun  for  my  own 
shuting  5  foot  barill  and  two  pueter  p***  pots  Send  one  good 
Case  of  Rezars  for  my  Saveing  Send  me  sum  Vavey  brade  Iron 
bars  of  1 6  foot  long  Send  100  of  them  Send  Large  caps  of  2 
Coprs  for  Coomey  &c  Please  to  show  this  to  Marchant  black  and 
shend  sum  Large  Locks  for  trade  Sum  chanes  for  my  Salf  two 
brass  tea  kittles  and  two  scacepang  a  fue  brass  Kittles  12  or 
fifteen  Coprs  each  Send  Pleanty  of  canes  for  Coomey  and  one 
long  cane  for  my  self  gould  mounted  and  small  Neals  for  Coo- 
mey you  may  pay  your  Coomy  Very  Reasonable  Saws  or  aney 
tools  No  Send  Small  Iron  moulds  for  to  cast  mustcats  and  sum 
small  3  pounders  Send  me  sum  banue*  canvess  to  make  sails 
for  my  canows  and  sum  large  Leg  monelonesf  with  hendges 
[hinges?]  to  thim  to  lock  with  a  Screw  and  two  large  iron  wans 
for  two  sarve  in  the  Room  of  irons  and  Send  me  one  whip  shaw 
and  one  cross  cut  shaw  Send  red  green  and  white  hats  for  trade 
Send  me  one  red  and  one  blue  coat  with  gould  Lace  for  to  fit  a 
Large  man  Send  butt'  and  Suger  for  to  trade  Send  sum  green 
sum  red  sum  blue  Velvet  caps  with  small  Leace  and  Send  Sum 
files  for  trade,  So  no  more  at  Preasent  from  your  best  friend 

"GRANDY  KING  GEORGE 
*  Possibly,  "brand  new."  t  Maniloes  or  Manillas  perhaps. 


THE  MASSACRE  AT  OLD  CALABAR.  547 

"  give  my  Complements  to  the  gentlemen  owners  of  the  brigg 
Swift  Mr  Devenport  Marchant  Black  and  Capt"  Black  and  as 
allso  Mr  Erll.* 

"Please  to  have  my  name  put  on  Everything  that  you  send 
for  me." 

Robin  John  Otto    Ephraim    writes  to    Captain  Ambrose 
Lace,  merchant,  in  Liverpool,  as  follows: — 

"PARROT  ISLAND  July  igf/i  1773 

"  SIR, — I  take  this  opportunity  to  write  to  you  I  send 
Joshua  i  Little  Boy  By  Captain  Cooper  I  been  send  you  one 
Boy  By  Captain  faireweather  I  ask  Captain  Cooper  wether 
Captain  faireweather  give  you  that  Boy  or  not  he  told  me 
Captain  fairewether  sold  the  Boy  in  the  West  India  and  give 
you  the  money  I  desire  you  will  Let  me  know  wether  faire- 
weather give  you  money  or  not  my  mother  Send  your  wife  one 
Teeth  By  Captain  Sharp  I  done  very  well  for  Captain  Cooper 
and  my  father  too  I  am  going  to  give  a  Town  of  my  own  I  dar 
say  you  knows  that  place  I  am  going  to  Live  Bashey  Dukey 
there  once  send  Gun  Enough  for  Trad.  I  want  2  Gun  for 
every  Slave  I  sell  Send  me  2  or  3  fine  chint  for  my  self  and 
handkerchief  any  thing  you  want  from  Callabar  Send  me  Letter 
I  think  I  come  to  see  next  voyage  Send  me  some  writing  paper 
and  Books  my  Coomey  his  1600  Copper  Send  me  2  sheep  a 
Life  Sir  I  am  your  BEST  friend  Otto  Ephraimf 

"S.P.  I  will  Sell  Captain  Doyle  slave  because  he  told  me 
you  have  part  for  his  ship  I  expect  Captain  Sharp  here  in  4 
months  time  Remember  me  to  your  Wife  and  Mr.  Chiffies."| 

"  OLD  TOWN  CALLABAR  December  z^th  1775 

"Captain  Lace  I  take  this  opportunity  to  write  to  you  by 

Captain  Jolly  that  letter  you  Send  me  by  Sharp  you  did  not 

put  your  name  as  for  Captain  Sharp  I  will  do  anything  hys  in 

my  power  to  obliged  you  when  Captain  Cooper  comes  Let  him 

*  Mr.  Earle.  t  This  letter  was  marked  "  The  King's  own  handwriting." 

£  Captain  Chaffers,  probably. 


548  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 

Guns  enough  I  want  2  Gun  for  every  Slave  I  Sell  and  father  we 
Dont  want  Iron  only  2  for  one  slave  so  no  more  at  present 
from  your  friend 

"EPHRAIM  ROBIN  JOHN 

"S.P.   Remember  me  to  your  wife. 

"To  Captain  Ambrose  Lace  merchant  in  Liverpool." 

CHIEF'S  LETTER. 

From   "Otto  Ephraim,   King  of  Old  Town,  Old  Calle- 
bar,"  to  Mr.  Ambrose  Lace,  merchant,  in  Liverpool. 

"  OLD  TOWN  OLD  CALLABAR  August  2$the  1776 
"MR.  LACE, 

"  SIR, — I  take  this  opportunity  to  write  to  you  I  received  by 
Captain  Cooper  one  painted  cloth  one  book  in  the  box  one  gown 
one  ink  cake  and  some  wafers  I  was  in  the  country  when 
Orrock  send  that  letter  to  you  now  I  put  my  hand  and  my  that 
is  enough  what  Orrock  can  do  he  can  do  anything  without  my 
father  and  I  please  I  pay  Egbo  men  yesterday  I  have  done  now 
for  Egbo  I  received  by  Captain  Sharp  one  lace  hat  I  make 
monkey  Captain  Loan  pay  me  for  that  cap  I  got  one  hundred 
Copper  for  it  I  put  him  in  the  iron  5  days  in  Quabacke  sea  he 
told  me  that  Captain  Barley  give  the  Willy  Honesty  but  I 
make  him  pay  for  all  that  I  was  on  board  Barley  myself  he 
never  mention  it  to  me  that  you  Send  me  a  cap  by  him  I  have 
sent  you  by  Cooper  one  teeth  50  weight 

"Your  most  obedent  Humble  Servant 

"  OTTO  EPHRAIM" 

"  OLD  TOWN  OLD  CALLABARR  March  2oth  1783 
"  MR  LACE, 

"SIR, 

"I  take  this  oportunity  By  Captain  Faireweather  we 
have  no  News  here  only  Tom  King  John  come  Down  to  live 
with  my  father  is  here  now  with  us  Orrock  Robin  John  is 
Dead  May  24th  1783  (?)  we  give  all  his  coppers  to  his  both 
son  George  Orrock  and  Ephraim  Orrock  Send  me  some  Writing 
papers  and  i  Bureaus  to  Buy 

"Your  Humble  Servant 

"OTTO  EPHRAIM 


THE  MASSACRE  AT  OLD  CALABAR.  549 

"P.S.   Remember  me  to  your  Wife  and  your  son  Joshua* 
Ambrose  William  and  Polly 
"  Mr  Ambrose  Lace 
"  Merchant  in  Liverpool 
"  Sent  by  ship  Jenny. " 

The  Liverpool  newspaper  of  June  i6th,  1769,  contained 
the  following  laconic  announcement: — uThe/0/z«,  Captain 
Erskine,  from  Bonny,  at  Barbadoes,  with  200  and  odd 
slaves,  buried  247,  and  gone  to  Dominica."  There  was  no 
fuss  made  about  this  mortality  of  at  least  50  per  cent,  on 
the  number  originally  shipped,  but  so  tender  is  the  public 
conscience  in  1897,  that  the  death  of  247  bullocks  in  crossing 
the  Atlantic  would  immediately  be  the  subject  of  questions  in 
Parliament. 

On  the  nth  of  January,  1769,  about  eight  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  as  the  Nancy,  Captain  Williams,  of  Liverpool, 
was  lying  at  anchor  at  New  Calabar,  with  132  slaves  on 
board,  the  negroes  rose  upon  the  crew  and  wounded  several, 
which  obliged  them  to  fire  amongst  the  slaves,  killing  six 
and  wounding  others.  "  It  was  with  great  difficulty,"  says 
the  paper,  "though  they  attacked  them  sword  in  hand,  to 
make  them  submit.  As  soon  as  the  natives  on  shore  heard 
the  report  of  the  guns,  great  numbers  of  them  came  off  in 
canoes,  and  surrounded  the  vessel,  and  finding  her  weakly 
manned  (having  only  five  people  but  what  were  sick), 
immediately  boarded  her,  took  away  all  the  slaves,  with 
some  ivory,  and  a  large  quantity  of  different  kinds  of  goods; 
plundered  the  vessel  of  everything  on  board,  stripped  the 
captain  and  crew  of  books,  instruments,  and  clothes,  after- 
wards split  the  decks,  cut  the  cables,  and  set  the  vessel 
adrift.  Captain  Labbar,  who  was  lying  in  the  river,  sent 
his  boat,  and  brought  Captain  Williams  and  his  people 
from  the  vessel,  which  was  then  driving  with  the  ebb,  a 
perfect  wreck." 

*  Joshua  Lace  was  the  founder  and  first  President  of  the  Liverpool  Law  Society. 


550  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 

The  following  is  a  fragment  of -instructions  handed  to  a 
slave-captain  who  sailed  from  Liverpool  on  the  3rd  of 
August,  1770: — 

"to  whom  deliver  your  Cargoe  of  Slaves  provided  they  will 
engage  to  turn  them  out  @  ^30  *$  head  sterling  round  clear  of 
the  Island  Duty  and  the  advantage  of  the  sale  to  us  in  bills  not 
exceeding  6  9  and  12  months  (or  less  if  possible)  in  equal  Sums 
— Could  a  freight  to  Porto  Rica  be  procured  on  Advantageous 
terms  we  should  be  glad  and  perhaps  it  would  be  a  good  oppor- 
tunity to  dispose  of  the  Brig  which  we  limit  you  at  ^150  Ster- 
ling either  there  or  at  Dominica  you  taking  out  the  Butts  and 
Guinea  Materials.  We  have  liberty  in  our  policys  of  Insurance 
to  go  to  Porto  Rica.  You'll  find  Letters  lodged  for  you  at 
Lovell  Morson  &  Co.'s  for  your  Government  to  which  we  at 
present  refer.  We  allow  of  no  private  adventures  being  carried 
out  that  all  trade  be  on  the  owners  Ace'  recomending  humane 
treatment  to  your  Crew,  care  of  accidents  by  Fire  and  that  a 
Diligent  Watch  be  kept  so  that  the  unhappy  Misfortunes  of 
Insurrections  may  be  prevented.  We  are  wishing  you  health 
and  a  prosperous  voyage. 

"  Y°  friends  &ct 

"  JOHN  &  WM  CROSBIE 
"  EDWD  CHAFFERS 
"  AMBROSE  LACE." 

The  following  curious  particulars  regarding  the  customs 
paid  at  Whydah  when  trading  for  slaves,  appear  to  have 
been  drawn  up  by  Captain  Ambrose  Lace,  for  the  guidance 
of  one  of  his  captains: — 

"  State  of  the  Customs  which  the  ships  that  make  their 
whole  trade  at  Whydah  pay  to  ye  King  of  Dahomey  : 

Thes  slaves  paid  to  ye  Cabor- 


Eight  Slaves  for  Permission 
of  Trade  gongon  Beater  and 
Breakers 


kees  after  which  he  gives  you 
•two  small  children  of  7  or  8  years 
old  which  the  King  sends  as  a 
return  for  the  Customs. 


THE  MASSACRE  AT  OLD  CALABAR. 


551 


1  Slave  for  Water  and  washerwoman \    These  slaves  paid  to 

2  Do.  for  the  Factory  house  rwhom      supplies       you 
7     Do.  for  the  Conoe                             J  These  to  the  Fort 

The  above  Slaves  are  Valued  as  under  : — 


6  Anchors  Brandy  is   i  Slave  ^ 

2oCabessof  Cowriesisi  Do 

40  Sililees  i  Do 

200  Ib  Gunpowder        i  Do 

25  Guns  i  Do 

10  Long"  Cloths  i  Do 

10  Blue  Bafts  i  Do 

10  Patten  Chints  i  Do 

40  Iron  Barrs  i  Do 


And  if  any  other  good  must 
be  in  proportion  but  you  must 
observe  to  pass  the  Goods 
Least  in  Demand. 


"  After  the  Customs  are  paid  which  should  be  done  as  soon 
as  possable  for  the  traders  dare  not  trade  till  the  Kings  Customs 
are  paid,  the  Vice  Roy  gives  you  the  nine  following"  Servants 
viz.  one  Conducter  to  take  care  of  the  goods  that  comes  and 
go's  to  and  from  the  waterside  which  you  deliver  him  in  count 
and  he's  obliged  to  answer  for  things  delivred  him  he's  paid  2 
Gallinas  of  Cowries  every  time  he  conducts  any  thing  whether 
coming  or  going  and  one  flask  of  brandy  every  Sunday. 

"Two  Brokers  which  are  obliged  to  go  to  the  traders 
houses  to  look  for  slaves  and  stand  Interpiter  for  the  Purchas 
the  are  paid  to  each  two  Tokes  of  Coweres  ^  day  and  one 
flask  of  brandy  every  Sunday  and  at  the  end  of  your  trade  you 
give  to  each  of  them  one  Anchor  of  Brandy  and  one  ps  of 
Cloth. 

"Two  Boys  to  serve  in  the  house  the  are  paid  each  two 
tokees  *$  day  at  the  end  of  your  trade  1*  ps  of  cloth. 

"One  Boy  to  Serve  at  the  tent  water  side  2  Tokees  "$  day. 

"One  Doorkeeper  paid  2  Tokees  *$  day  i  ps  Cloth  for  him 

and  ye  above. 

"One  Waterwoman  for  the  factory  2  Tokees  ^  day  at  end  of 
trade.  *  One  ps  of  Cloth. 


552  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 

"One  Washer  Woman  2  Tok'ees  ?  day  and  six  Tokees 
everytime  you  give  her  any  Linnen  to  Wash  and  one  ps  of  .Cloth 
at  ye  end  of  trade. 

"  N.B.  the  two  last  Servants  are  sometimes  one  if  so  you 
only  pay  one. 

"To  the  Cannoe  men  for  bring-ing-  the  Captain  on  shore 
one  Anchor  Brandy  and  to  each  man  a  hatt  and  a  fathom  Cloth. 
To  the  Boatswain  a  hat  y2  ps  Cloth  one  Cabes  Cowrees  a 
flask  of  brandy  every  Sunday  and  a  bottle  every  time  the  cross 
the  Barr  with  goods  or  Slaves  and  every  time  the  pass  a  white 
man  and  at  the  end  of  trade  for  earring  the  Capt"  on  board 
one  anchor  of  Brandy  and  four  Cabeses  Cowrees. 

"  N.B.  The  above  Bottles  flasks  &c  was  usely  given  to  ye 
Conoemen  but  now  the  Capt"  gives  ym  one  Anchor  of  Brandy 
and  one  Cabese  of  Cowrees  every  Sunday  for  the  weeks  work. 
To  the  Gong  Gong  Beater  for  anouncing  trade  10  Gellinas  of 
Cowrees  and  one  flask  of  Brandy. 

"To  the  Kings  Messenger  for  Carring  News  of  the  ships 
Arrivell  and  Capt"'5  Compliments  to  the  King  ten  Gallinas. 

"  To  the  Trunk  keeper  a  bottle  brandy  every  Sunday  and 
a  peice  of  Cloth  when  you  go  away  if  you  are  satisfied  with 
his  service. 

"  To  the  Capt"  of  the  Waterside  on  your  arrivell  one  anchor 
of  brandy  and  at  your  Depr  one  ps  Cloth  and  one  anchor  of 
brandy. 

"  To  the  six  Waterrowlers  two  tokees  ^  day  each  and  two 
Bottles  Brandy  besides  which  you  pay  them  2,  3  or  4  tokees  of 
cowrees  each  Cask  according  to  the  size  at  the  end  of  trade 
two  ps  Cloth  and  one  anchor  Brandy. 

"To  the  Vice  Roy  who  go's  with  his  people  to  Compliment 
the  Cap1-  at  his  arrivell  and  Conduct  him  to  the  Fort  one  Anchor 
Brandy  and  two  flasks  but  if  Coke  be  their  four  flasks  Brandy. 

"To  the  Vice  Roy  for  his  owne  Custom  i  ps  Silk  15  yards 
i  Cask  of  Flower  one  of  Beef  but  if  you  are  short  of  these  you 
may  give  him  some  thing  else  in  Lew  of  them. 

"To  making  the  Ten  one  Anchor  Brandy  4  Cabess'Cowrees. 


THE  MASSACRE  AT  OLD  CALABAR.  553 

"To  the  Cap'"1  Gong"  Gong-  that  looks  after  the  house  at 
night  one  bottle  "$  day  and  one  ps  Cloth  if  your  content. 

"You  pay  3  Tokees  of  Cowrees  for  every  load  such  as  one 
Anchor  40  Sililees  10  ps  Cloth  and  so  in  proportion  for  small 
goods  but  when  loads  are  very  heavy  you  pay  more  as  ten  Gal- 
linas  for  a  Chest  of  pipes  &c. 

[The  Tokee  is  40  Cowreesl 

The  Gallina  is  200 

The  Cabess  is  4000 

"N.B.    their  go's   five  tokees  to  one  Gallina  and  twenty 
Gallinas  makes  one  Cabess." 

Letter  from  a  Chief,  addressed  "see  Capt.  Brighouse": — 

"FRIEND  WILLIAM  BRIGHOUSE, 

"I  have  sent  you  one  woman  and  girl  by  Shebol.  I  will 
come  toomorrow  to  see  you.  Suppose  you  Some  Coffee  to 
spar.  Please  send  me  a  Little. 

"I  am  your  Friend 
"Deer  3oth  1777  "EooBOYOUNG  COFFIONG 

"  Sunday" 

In  the  year  1772,  slavery  in  England  received  its  death- 
blow. In  1729,  Lord  Talbot,  Attorney-general,  and  Mr. 
Yorke,  Solicitor-general,  had  given  an  opinion  which  raised 
the  whole  question  of  the  legal  existence  of  slaves  in  Great 
Britain  and  Ireland.  They  said  that  the  mere  fact  of  a  slave 
coming  into  these  islands  from  the  West  Indies  did  not 
make  him  a  free  man,  and  he  could  be  compelled  to  return 
again  to  those  plantations.  On  the  strength  of  this  decision, 
slavery  continued  to  flourish  in  England  for  a  period  of 
forty-three  years.  Chief-Justice  Holt,  however,  had  ex- 
pressed a  contrary  opinion  to  that  of  the  law  officers  of  the 
crown  ;  and,  after  a  long  struggle  the  matter  was  brought 
to  a  final  issue  in  the  case  of  the  negro  Somerset,  so  nobly 
fought  by  Granville  Sharp.  On  May  22nd,  1772,  Lord 
Mansfield  in  the  name  of  the  whole  bench,  delivered  the 


554  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLAVE  TRADE. 

memorable  decision,*  which,  from  "that  day  to  this,  has  been 
one  of  the  glories  of  our  land — that  "as  soon  as  a  slave  set 
foot  on  the  soil  of  the  British  Islands,  he  became  free,"  or 
in  the  words  of  Cowper  : 

"  Slaves  cannot  breathe  in  England  ;    if  their  lung's 
Receive  our  air,  that  moment  they  are  free  ; 
They  touch  our  country,  and  their  shackles  fall." 

Notwithstanding  this  ruling,  we  find  in  Williamson's 
Advertiser,  of  May  4th,  1780,  the  following  curious 
advertisement  :— 

"RUN  AWAY,  on  the  1 8th  of  April  last,  from  PRESCOT, 
A  BLACK  MAN  SLAVE,  named  GEORGE  GERMAIN 
FONEY,  aged  twenty  years,  about  five  feet  seven,  rather 
handsome ;  had  on  a  green  coat,  red  waistcoat,  and  blue 
breeches,  with  a  plain  pair  of  silver  shoe  buckles  ;  he  speaks 
English  pretty  well.  Any  person  who  will  bring  the  black  to 
his  master,  Captain  Thomas  Ralph,  at  the  Talbot  Inn,  in 
Liverpool,  or  inform  the  master  where  the  black  is,  shall  be 
handsomely  rewarded.  All  persons  are  cautioned  not  to 
harbour  the  black,  as  he  is  not  only  the  slave,  but  the 
apprentice  of  Captain  Ralph."! 

*  "On  May  22nd,  1772,  the  court  of  King's  Bench  gave  judgment  in  the  case 
of  Somerset,  the  slave,  viz.  that  Mr.  Stuart,  his  master,  had  no  power  to  compel 
him  on  board  a  ship,  or  to  send  him  back  to  the  plantations.  Lord  Mansfield 
stated  the  matter  thus  :  The  only  question  before  us  is,  is  the  cause  returned 
sufficient  for  remanding  the  slave  ?  If  not,  he  must  be  discharged.  The  cause 
returned  is,  the  slave  absented  himself,  and  departed  from  his  master's  service,  and 
refused  to  return  and  serve  him  during  his  stay  in  England ;  whereupon,  by  his 
master's  orders,  he  was  put  on  board  the  ship  by  force,  and  there  detained  in 
secure  custody,  to  be  carried  out  of  the  kingdo.m  and  sold.  So  high  an  act  of 
dominion  was  never  in  use  here  ;  no  master  ever  was  allowed  here  to  take  a  slave 
by  force  to  be  sold  abroad,  because  he  had  deserted  from  his  service,  or  for  any 
other  reason  whatever.  We  cannot  say  the  cause  set  forth  by  this  return  is  allowed 
or  approved  of  by  the  laws  of  this  kingdom,  therefore  the  man  must  be  discharged." 
Annual  Register,  vol.  15,  p.  no. 

t  In  contrast  to  the  above,  we  take  the  following  from  the  Liverpool  newspaper : 
"On  Saturday,  February  26th,  1780,  died  in  the  79th  year  of  his  age,  'Ihomas 
Crowder,  a  merchant  who  had  acquired  a  large  fortune  in  Jamaica ;  and  on 
Tuesday  died  his  faithful  black  servant,  who  had  served  him  upwards  of  twenty 
years." 

"  On  Jany.  4th,  1797,  died  William  Patrick,  a  black,  upwards  of  36  years  a 
servant  in  the  family  of  William  Gregson,  Esq.,  of  Everton,  in  which  capacity  he 
was  honest  and  faithful  becoming  his  situation.' 


THE  MASSACRE  AT  OLD  CALABAR.  555 

The  rapid  decline  of  commerce  consequent  upon  the 
revolt  of  the  North  American  Colonies,  and  the  activity  of 
the  American  Privateers,  seriously  interfered  with  the 
Liverpool  slave  trade.  In  1773,  the  number  of  ships 
cleared  to  Africa  was  105,  burthen  1 1,056  tons,  which  carried 
to  the  West  Indies  28,200  negroes.  In  1775,  the  number  of 
ships  fell  to  81,  burthen  9,200  tons,  while  during  the  war 
this  branch  of  traffic,  in  common  with  others,  had  declined 
so  much  that  in  1779,  only  n  vessels,  burthen  1205  tons, 
sailed  from  the  Mersey  to  the  coast  of  Africa.  One  great  blow 
to  the  trade  was  an  Order  in  Council  prohibiting  the  export- 
ation of  gunpowder,  an  article  which  formed  a  large  portion 
of  every  Guinea  cargo. 

In  August,  1775,  a  sailors'  riot  broke  out  in  Liverpool, 
and  continued  for  several  days,  threatening  to  lay  the 
town  and  shipping  in  ashes.  Some  sailors,  who  had 
been  engaged  on  board  the  Derby  Guineaman,  Captain 
Yates,  fitting  out  in  one  of  the  docks,  having  finished  the 
rigging,  demanded  their  wages  at  the  rate  of  305.  per 
month,  for  which  they  had  contracted  ;  but  the  owners 
refused  to  pay  more  than  205.,  as  there  were  then  about 
3000  sailors  in  the  port  unemployed,  and  no  fewer  than 
forty  sail  of  Guinea  ships  laid  up.  The  men  returned  on 
board  the  vessel,  and  in  a  short  time  cut  and  demolished 
the  whole  of  the  rigging,  and  left  it  on  the  deck.  A  party 
of  constables  seized  nine  of  the  ringleaders,  whom  the 
magistrates  committed  to  the  Tower  in  Water-street,  where- 
upon upwards  of  2000  sailors,  armed  with  handspikes,  clubs, 
and  other  weapons,  attacked  the  gaol  and  rescued  their 
comrades.  The  rioters  then  marched  about  the  docks  till 
near  midnight,  terrifying  the  inhabitants  and  unrigging  all 
the  vessels  that  were  ready  to  sail.  This  was  on  a  Friday  ; 
on  Saturday  all  was  quiet,  and  on  Monday,  the  sailors,  in 
a  body,  waited  on  the  magistrates,  praying  redress  and 
support.  They  came  to  no  terms,  but  met  the  following 


556  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 

day,  and  the  merchants  agreed  -to  give  the  wages  they 
demanded.  On  this  they  dispersed  and  spent  the  day  in 
the  greatest  festivity,  but  hearing  that  300  able-bodied  men 
had  been  hired  at  los.  per  day  to  apprehend  those  who  had 
been  most  forward  in  the  riot,  the  sailors  again  met  at  nine 
o'clock  the  same  evening,  unarmed,  and  went  to  the 
Exchange,  which  they  surrounded.  Some  straggler  of  their 
party  unfortunately  broke  a  pane  of  glass,  whereupon  the 
special  constables  within  fired  upon  the  mob,  killing  seven 
and  wounding  about  forty.  A  general  attack  upon  the 
windows  of  the  Exchange  was  made  with  stones,  amid  the 
dismal  cries  and  groans  of  the  wounded.  On  Wednesday 
morning,  upwards  of  1000  sailors  again  assembled,  all  with 
red  ribbons  in  their  hats.  They  went  to  Parr's,  the  gun- 
smith, took  about  300  muskets,  plundered  other  shops  of 
powder,  balls,  &c.,  and  at  one  o'clock,  being  all  armed, 
some  with  muskets  and  others  with  cutlasses,  they 
surrounded  the  Exchange,  against  which  they  planted  six 
cannon,  which  they  had  brought  from  the  vessels  in  dock.* 
Having  hoisted  the  bloody  flag,  they  blazed  away  at  the 
building  with  great  guns  and  small  arms.  The  cannon  in 
Castle-street  was  so  large,  and  the  street  so  narrow,  that 
the  houses  shook  till  scarce  a  pane  of  glass  was  left  whole  in 
the  neighbourhood.  In  this  attack  four  persons  were 
killed.  It  is  said  that  much  more  damage  would  have 
been  done  to  the  Exchange  by  cannon  balls  if  some  one  had 
not  cried,  "Aim  at  the  goose,"  alluding  to  the  cormorant, 
or  liver,  the  heraldic  device  of  the  town,  which  formed  one 
of  the  figures  in  the  pediment.  The  gunners  took  the  hint, 

*  "When  the  sailors  were  attacking  the  houses  of  the  African  merchants  in 
1775,"  says  Stonehouse,  "  a  cannon  was  obtained  from  the  Old  Dock  by  a  party 
of  the  rioter-.  One  of  these  fellows  took  a  horse  out  of  Mr.  Blackburne's  stable 
at  the  Salt  Works,  and  attempted  to  harness  it  to  a  truck  on  which  the  cannon 
had  been  placed.  The  leader  of  the  gang,  in  stooping  down  to  fasten  a  rope  to 
the  truck,  offered  so  fair  a  mark  for  a  bite,  that  the  horse,  evidently  having  notions 
of  law  and  order,  availed  himself  of  the  opportunity  of  making  his  mark  upon  Jack's 
beam  end,  which  sent  him  off  roaring,  leaving  the  gun  in  the  possession  of  the 
saline  Bucephalus." 


THE  MASSACRE  AT  OLD  CALABAR.  557 

and  the  cannon,  being  pointed  high,  did  less  mischief  than 
it  might  otherwise  have  done.  From  the  Exchange,  they 
marched  to  Whitechapel,  to  the  house  of  Mr.  Thomas 
Ratcliffe,  a  Guinea  merchant,  the  attack  upon  which  is 
thus  described  by  an  eye-witness  : — 

"  This  day  I  have  been  so  frightened  as  hardly  to  be  able  to 
do  anything".  Such  scenes  of  distress  as  I  have  been  eye-witness 
to,  with  the  clattering-  of  swords  and  cannon,  have  so  terrified 
me,  that  I  hardly  know  what  I  say  or  do.  To  inform  you  of 
the  particulars  :  you  must  know  that  in  Whitechapel,  lived  a 
merchant  [Mr.  Thomas  Ratcliffe],  who  was  said  to  be  the  first 
that  fired  upon  the  sailors  ;  in  consequence  thereof,  a  large 
number  of  them  came  with  a  drum,  a  flag,  and  armed  with 
guns,  blunderbusses,  cutlasses,  clubs,  &c.  who  fired  on  the 
said  merchant's  house,  which  stands  in  sight  of  us,  where  they 
threw  out  the  feather  beds,  pillows,  &c.  ripped  them  open,  and 
scattered  the  feathers  in  the  air,  broke  open  the  drawers,  full 
of  clothes,  laces,  linen,  tore  in  pieces  the  house  and  bed  furni- 
ture, together  with  the  stoves,  parchments,  china,  &c.  and  all 
that  was  in  the  house.  We  were  all  in  a  dreadful  confusion, 
but  they  behaved  very  well  to  every  one,  excepting  those  to 
whom  they  owed  a  grudge.  They  then  marched  to  a  very 
large  house  behind  us,  [in  Rainford  Garden]  belonging  to 
another  merchant,  whose  name  is  [William]  Tames.,  and  one 
of  the  greatest  traders  here.*  The  family  having  been  apprised 
of  their  coming,  had  left  it,  and  taken  some  of  their  most 
valuable  effects  with  them  to  a  country  house  they  have  ;  but 
such  good  furniture  they  destroyed  here,  would  have  grieved 
any  one  to  see.  They  destroyed  also  the  compting-house,  with 

*  Mr.  William  James  had,  at  one  time,  29  vessels  engaged  in  the  slave  tiade,  but  \ 
they  were  not  of  large  dimensions.  lie  died  at  his  house  in  Clayton  Square,  in 
January,  1798,  aged  67.  "Mr.  James,"  says  one  who  knew  him,  "sat  for  some 
years  in  the  House  of  Commons,  and  gave  evidence  of  talent  far  beyond  mediocrity. 
There  was  also  a  spice  of  originality  about  him  which  commanded  attention  when- 
ever he  spoke,  which,  however,  was  but  seldom.  'I  here  was  another  Mr.  James, 
in  Liverpool,  in  those  days,  rather  a  rough-spun  and  unhewn  kind  of  person,  and 
very  eccentric  and  amusing  in  his  way — a  character,  in  short,  amongst  his  own  circle. 
His  name  was  Gabriel  James,  or  'the  Angel  Gabriel,'  as  some  of  his  waggish 
friends  called  him.  He  had  a  ready  tongue  and  plenty  of  mother  wit,  and  seldom 
came  off  second  best  in  a  tilt  and  tournament  with  words.' 


558  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 

all  the  papers,  goods,  &c.  The  household  furniture  was  very 
rich,  with  abundance  of  china  and  chintz  bed-furniture,  all  of 
which  were  torn  to  shivers,  and  linen,  plate,  &c.  tumbled  into 
the  street,  and  thrown  about  in  fragments  immediately,  in  the 
air.  During  the  whole  time  the  cellars  were  kept  quite  open, 
and  what  liquor  they  did  not  drink,  they  threw  away.  Our 
poor  Debby  would  go  to  see  them,  and  has  got  her  eyelash  cut 
with  a  candlestick. 

"It  is  not  possible  to  form  any  idea  of  the  distress  this 
place  has  been  in,  all  this  day.  The  merchants  get  to  the 
corner  of  the  streets,  where,  methinks,  I  yet  see  them  standing, 
with  fear  painted  in  their  faces.  The  'Change  has  all  its 
windows  broke,  and  frames  forced  quite  out.  They  have  been 
firing  also  at  the  walls  the  greatest  part  of  this  day,  and  are 
now  gone  to  Cleveland  Square.  I  suppose  there  is  not  a 
merchant  who  has  wanted  to  lower  their  wages  but  will 
be  visited  by  them ;  and  God  knows  how  long  these  riots  may 
continue.  You  will  not  wonder,  after  reading  this,  that  I  was 
terrified.  I  am  a  coward,  it's  true,  but  I  think  this  would  have 
alarmed  any  one.  They  read  the  Riot  Act  last  night,  and 
then  began  to  fire  on  them,  when  they  killed  three,  and 
wounded  fifteen.  This  has  made  them  so  desperate.  I  could 
not  help  thinking  we  had  Boston  here,  and  I  fear  this  is  only 
the  beginning  of  our  sorrows." 

In  destroying  Mr.  James's  furniture,  a  little  negro  boy 
was  discovered  by  the  sailors,  concealed  in  the  clock  case, 
whither  he  had  fled  for  safety.  Having  got  drunk  at 
Mr.  James's  house,  the  mob  marched  to  Mr.  Thomas 
Yates'  in  Cleveland  Square,  and  from  thence  to  Mr.  John 
Simmons'  in  St.  Paul's  Square,  sacking  both  houses,  after 
which  they  met  at  their  rendezvous,  the  North  Ladies' 
Walk,  where  they  gathered  daily  under  a  leader  they 
called  "  General  Gage."  Besides  other  acts  of  turbulence 
and  disorder,  which  were  committed  during  several  days, 
the  rioters  marched  about  the  streets  in  gangs,  presenting 
pistols  at  the  breast  of  every  person  they  met,  and  demanding 


THE  MASSACRE  AT  OLD  CALABAR.  559 

money  from  them.  They  also  visited  the  houses  of  the 
merchants,  levying  contributions  of  money,  among  the 
rest,  the  residence  of  Mr.  William  Leece,  a  merchant,  in 
Water-street.  It  happened  that  no  one  was  within,  except 
the  merchant's  daughter  and  the  female  servants.  Miss 
Leece,  with  a  fearlessness  and  self-possession  that  was  com- 
pletely wanting  in  the  local  authorities  of  Liverpool  during 
the  riot,  went  to  the  door,  and,  addressing  the  mob  leader, 
who  was  a  sailor,  enquired  what  they  wanted.  Jack, 
struck  with  admiration  at  her  courage  and  coolness,  took 
off  his  hat,  and  remained  uncovered  while,  in  respectful 
language,  he  solicited,  instead  of  demanding,  a  contribu- 
tion. Having  received  it,  he  thanked  her,  and  drew  off  the 
rabble  without  doing  any  mischief.  This  wise  and  high- 
spirited  lady  afterwards  married  Mr.  James  Drinkwater, 
who  was  mayor  of  Liverpool  in  1810.  Her  eldest  son, 
Sir  George  Drinkwater,  was  mayor  in  1829  ;  her  second 
son,  Mr.  William  Leece  Drinkwater,  of  the  Isle  of  Man, 
was  a  member  of  the  House  of  Keys  ;  her  third  son, 
Mr.  John  Drinkwater,  was  the  father  of  Deemster  Drink- 
water.  Her  daughter,  Margaret,  married  Mr.  Peter  Bourne, 
who  was  mayor  of  Liverpool  in  1825.  The  riot  was 
eventually  quelled  by  a  troop  of  light  horse  from  Man- 
chester, *  and  in  April,  1776,  fourteen  of  the  sailors 

*  A  gentleman,  who  accompanied  the  party  of  Lord  Pembroke's  Royal  Regiment 
of  Horse,  that  was  sent  for  from  Manchester  to  Liverpool,  to  quell  the  riot,  writing 
on  September  6th,  says:  "  Last  Wednesday,  at  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  an 
express  was  received  at  Manchester  from  the  Mayor  of  this  place,  demanding  the 
assistance  of  the  soldiery,  to  put  a  stop  to  the  riotings  of  the  sailors;  and  in  the 
evening  two  of  the  principal  gentlemen  in  the  town  arrived,  praying  their  immediate 
march,  otherwise,  Liverpool  would  be  laid  in  ashes,  and  every  inhabitant  murdered. 
Upon  this,  the  men  were  collected  together  with  all  speed,  to  the  number  of  100 
privates  and  six  officers ;  and  about  three  o'clock  in  the  morning,  they  marched.  It 
rained  very  hard,  and  did  not  cease  until  they  came  within  six  miles  of  Liverpool, 
where  they  were  met  by  the  Mayor,  who  told  them  the  rioters  were  drawn  up  in  a 
body  to  attack  them.  Before  they  proceeded  any  further,  they  examined  their 
arms,  which  being  very  wet,  required  a  short  time  to  put  them  in  order  and 
when  done  they  loaded,  then  marched  in  six  divisions  with  their  horses  on  each 
side,  to  keep  the  flanks  clear,  intending  to  give  the  sailors  the  street  fairing. 
They  arrived  at  Liverpool  about  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  in  good  spirits, 
though  somewhat  fatigued,  amidst  the  acclamations  of  the  whole  town,  who  now 


560  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 

concerned  in  the  affair,  "were  suffered  to  go  on  board  one 
of  his  Majesty's  ships  destined  for  America."  With  the 
exception  of  the  rebellion  and  the  Gordon  Riots,  the  annals 
of  the  eighteenth  century  probably  cannot  mention  a  more 
extraordinary  and  formidable  popular  outbreak  in  England 
than  these  riots,  arising  from  the  greed  of  slave-merchants 
and  the  ferocity  of  their  hirelings,  and  in  which  cannon, 
muskets,  pistols,  cutlasses  and  other  deadly  weapons  were 
freely  used  by  the  mob. 

The  True  Briton,  Captain  Dawson,  which  sailed  from 
Bonny,  for  the  West  Indies,  on  the  i4th  of  June,  1776,  with 
upwards  of  500  slaves,  in  coming  out  had  an  insurrection  on 
board,  in  which  the  sailmaker  was  killed,  and  cooper 
wounded. 

One  of  the  most  inexplicable  facts  in  connection  with  the 
trade  is,  that  when  the  slave-ships  were  in  danger  from  an 
enemy  on  the  middle  passage,  the  captains  frequently  armed 
some  of  the  negroes,  who  fought  most  gallantly  to  preserve 
the  vessels  and  the  lives  of  the  men  who  were  carrying  them 
into  perpetual  and  pitiless  bondage.  We  have  an  instance 
of  this  in  the  case  of  the  notorious  slaver,  the  Brooks. 
Captain  Noble,  her  commander,  writing  to  the  owners  from 
Montego  Bay,  Jamaica,  on  the  26th  of  April,  1777,  says:— 

"  I  can  with  a  good  deal  of  pleasure  inform  you  that  your 
ship  Brooks  has  been  the  destruction  of  one  of  the  American 
privateers.  The  next  morning  after  we  left  Barbadoes,  we 
were  chased  by  her,  and  made  all  the  sail  we  could  to  get  from 
her,  but  to  no  purpose,  for  she  came  up  with  us  very  fast,  and 
a  little  afterwards  we  saw  another  privateer  right  ahead,  so 
that  we  had  then  nothing  to  do  but  either  fight  or  be  taken. 


came  out  of  their  houses,  which  they  had  not  clone,  nor  even  shewn  their  faces,  for 
some  time  before.  Immediately  upon  their  appearance,  the  rioters  dispersed,  with 
the  utmost  confusion,  hiding  themselves  in  garrets,  cellars,  &c.  and  in  short, 
anywhere  they  could.  The  soldiers  then  surrounded  several  houses,  and  in  the 
course  of  Thursday  and  Friday,  made  about  sixty  prisoners,  who  were  sent  to 
Lancaster  Jail,  and  now  all  remains  very  quiet." 


THE  MASSACRE  AT  OLD  CALABAR.  561 

We  therefore,  to  prevent  being-  engaged  by  them  both  at  once, 
took  in  all  our  small  sails,  and  made  ready  for  an  engagement. 
She  came  up  right  astern,  would  shew  no  colours  till  we  fired 
two  shot  at  her,  which  did  great  execution  ;  upon  which  she 
hoisted  American  colours,  and  gave  us  a  broadside,  which  we 
returned  with  our  two  stern  chasers,  which  never  missed  raking 
them  fore  and  aft.  After  engaging  her  about  an  hour,  we 
were  so  lucky  as  to  shoot  away  her  mast,  just  above  the  deck, 
by  which  time  the  other  was  almost  up  with  us,  but  seeing  the 
sloop's  mast  gone,  she  hauled  away  from  us  as  fast  as  possible. 
The  sloop  and  us  exchanged  many  shot  after  her  mast  was 
gone,  but  I  thought  it  the  most  prudent  way  not  to  attempt 
taking  her  for  fear  of  the  other  (which  was  a  schooner) 
altering  her  mind,  and  coming  back,  upon  which  we  bore  away 
in  a  tattered  condition,  our  sails  and  rigging  being  very  much 
torn  to  pieces,  and  a  great  many  shot  in  the  hull,  but 
miraculously  nobody  killed  or  wounded  on  board  us,  except 
the  Doctor,  who  received  a  musket  ball  in  his  belly,  but  has 
got  the  better  of  it  already,  as  it  came  through  the  stern  before 
it  hit  him.  We  killed  a  great  number  on  board  the  privateer, 
as  they  stood  quite  exposed  to  our  shot.  She  was  a  sloop  of 
ten  or  twelve  guns,  a  great  number  of  swivels,  and  as  full  of 
men  as  she  could  stow.  I  believe  the  greatest  part  Frenchmen 
by  their  appearance.  I  had  fifty  of  our  stoutest  slaves  armed, 
who  fought  with  exceeding  great  spirit.  After  I  left  the  sloop, 
the  schooner  came  to  her,  and,  I  suppose,  took  the  people  out 
of  her  ;  she  sunk  about  an  hour  after  I  left  her.  The  engage- 
ment was  within  two  miles  of  St.  Vincent,  on  the  S.E.  part 
of  the  island.  I  went  into  Kingston  Bay,  and  went  on  board 
the  Favourite,  sloop-of-war,  to  beg  some  powder,  which  they 
supplied  me  with  very  readily,  and  that  evening  made  sail  for 
Jamaica,  kept  a  great  way  to  the  southward,  and  then  hauled 
right  over  for  Jamaica,  by  which  means  (I  dare  say)  we 
escaped  a  good  many  of  the  Americans.  We  saw  several 
small  sail  on  our  way  down,  but  what  they  were,  I  cannot 
tell." 
Captain  Noble,  when  writing,  had  not  heard  the  sequel. 

2NT 


562  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 

Soon  after  the  removal  of  the  sloop's  crew  on  board  the 
schooner,  the  latter  blew  up,  and  fifty-five  persons  were 
drowned  and  thirteen  saved,  amongst  whom  was  the  captain 
of  the  sloop  privateer.  The  captain  and  three  men  were 
lodged  in  gaol  at  St.  Vincent's.  We  shall  presently  hear 
more  of  the  Brooks,  and  her  accommodation  for  compulsory 
passengers. 

At  a  public  meeting  of  the  African  Freemen,  merchants 
and  others,  held  in  the  Exchange,  in  Liverpool,  on  the  i4th 
of  July,  1777,  a  committee  of  merchants  was  appointed  to 
take  into  consideration  the  state  of  the  African  trade,  and  to 
draw  up  some  plan  to  be  laid  before  the  ensuing  Sessions 
of  Parliament  for  the  better  regulation  of  the  said  trade. 
The  following  merchants  were  present  : — 

Alderman  Gregson,  Mr.  Higginson,  Mr.  Sparling, 

Mr.  Slater,  Mr.  T.  Hodgson,  Mr.  Blundell, 

Mr.  Caruthers,  Mr.  Heywood,  Mr.  Brown, 

Mr.  Bold,  Mr.  Greenwood,  Mr.  Birch, 

and  Mr.  Grimshaw. 

It  was  resolved  that  the  Committee  be  an  open  one,  "to 
which  any  merchant  or  other  person,  trading  to  Africa  from 
Liverpool,  or  any  Freeman  of  the  African  Company  there, 
or  other  merchant  of  the  same  place,  should  be  allowed  to 
come,  be  heard,  and  vote."  The  Committee  sat  at  ten  o'clock 
every  Monday  morning  in  the  Town  Hall,  and  was  formed  of 
the  following  gentlemen:— 

William  Crosbie,  Esq.,  Mayor, 

William  Gregson,      John  Dobson,  Alexr.  Nottingham, 

Gill  Slater,  Joseph  Brooks,  Jun.,  Thomas  Hodgson, 

Thomas  Case,  Benjamin  Heywood,  Thomas  Staniforth, 

George  Case,  Thos.  Rumbold,  Thomas  Birch, 

Richard  Savage,       James  Caruthers,  Wm.  Crosbie,  Jun., 
Francis  Ingram. 

The  Secretary  was  Francis  Gildart. 


THE  MASSACRE  AT  OLD  CALABAR.  563 

On  the  4th  of  December,  1777,  the  Jane,  Captain  Syers, 
and  the  Gregson,  Captain  Boyd,  two  Liverpool  slave-ships, 
arrived  at  Barbadoes,  from  Africa,  after  a  passage  of  seven 
weeks.  Two  days  before  their  arrival,  they  exchanged  a 
broadside  with  a  small  sloop,  but  the  day  following,  the  fane, 
then  a  good  way  ahead  of  the  Greg-son,  was  grappled  and 
attacked  by  a  large  sloop  of  14  guns  and  well  manned,  who 
managed  to  throw  five  boarders  into  the  fane,  but  these  were 
soon  repulsed,  and  a  close  action  ensued  for  about  two  hours, 
when  the  privateer  cut  her  grapnel  and  sheered  off,  having 
caught  fire,  which,  however,  was  extinguished.  The  fane 
had  five  men  and  a  negro  boy  killed,  and  six  seamen  dan- 
gerously wounded.  "Captain  Boyd,"  says  the  Liverpool 
newspaper,  "crowded  all  he  could,  but  was  not  able  to  get  up 
and  assist,  otherwise  'tis  likely  the  people  of  Barbadoes  would 
have  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  those  two  brave  African 
heroes  bring  the  Rebel  Taxgatherer  into  Carlisle  Bay."  An 
account  from  St.  Vincent's,  dated  December  27th,  mentions 
that  a  Liverpool  Guineaman  had  given  a  rebel  privateer  a 
severe  drubbing,  near  Barbadoes,  and  that  33  of  the  priva- 
teer's crew  were  killed,  and  upwards  of  47  wounded,  and  this, 
no  doubt,  was  the  action  with  ihefane. 

In  March  1779,  in  a  cause  tried  before  Earl  Mansfield,  at 
Guildhall,  Amissa,  a  free  black  of  Anamaboe,  on  the  coast 
of  Africa,  was  awarded  ^500  damages  against  the  captain 
of  a  Liverpool  slave-ship,  under  the  following  circumstances. 
In  1774,  the  defendant,  wanting  hands  while  on  the  coast, 
hired  the  plaintiff  as  a  sailor,  advancing  part  of  his  wages. 
When  the  ship  arrived  at  Jamaica,  the  plaintiff  was  sent, 
with  three  other  sailors,  to  row  some  slaves  on  shore,  and, 
to  his  intense  astonishment  and  grief,  instead  of  being 
allowed  to  return  to  the  ship,  he  was  detained  by  the 
purchaser  of  the  slaves,  to  whom  the  captain  had  sold  him, 
and  sent  up  to  the  mountains  to  work  as  a  slave.  When 
the  heartless  captain  returned  with  his  ship  to  Anamaboe, 


564  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLAVE  TRADE. 

he  gave  out  to  Amissa's  friends  that  he  had  died  on  the 
passage.  A  year  or  two  later,  however,  a  black  returned  to 
Anamaboe,  who  reported  that  he  had  left  Amissa  in  slavery 
at  Jamaica,  whereupon  the  King,  and  other  great  people  of 
the  country,  desired  Captain  E—  — ,  who  was  then  on  the  coast 
with  his  ship,  on  his  arrival  at  Jamaica,  to  redeem  Amissa 
and  send  him  back  to  his  friends,  they  paying  all  expenses. 
The  better  to  identify  his  person,  they  directed  the  son  of 
one  Ouaw,  a  gold  taker  at  Anamaboe,  to  accompany  Captain 
E—  -  on  his  voyage.  Soon  after  their  arrival  at  Jamaica, 
they  found  out  the  man,  redeemed  him  after  a  slavery  of 
near  three  years,  and  brought  him  to  London,  where  the 
matter  was  laid  before  the  African  Committee,  who  ordered 
the  defendant  to  be  prosecuted  as  a  warning  to  other 
captains,  with  the  result,  as  aforesaid,  of  heavy  damages. 

Early  in  1781,  the  Sally,  Captain  Taubman,  had  the  good 
fortune  of  capturing,  and  escorting  to  Barbadoes,  a  Dutch 
Guineaman  with  350  slaves,  which,  taken  at  the  average 
market  price  ruling  in  Jamaica  for  eleven  years — ^50  a 
head — would  amount  to  ,£17,500. 

On  the  28th  of  April,  1781,  Captain  Stevenson  of  the  slave- 
ship  Rose,  wrote  to  his  owners,  in  Liverpool,  from  Old 
Harbour,  Jamaica,  in  the  following  terms  :  — 

"This  is  to  inform  you  of  my  safe  arrival  here  on  the  i6th 
inst,  after  a  passage  of  48  days  from  Cape  Coast,  but  had  the 
misfortune  the  day  before  we  got  in  here,  to  fall  in  with  a 
French  privateer  of  14  guns,  and  85  men,  called  the  Mould, 
belonging  to  Cape  Nichola  Mole,  off  the  S.E.  end  of  this  island. 
At  first  coming  up  with  us,  we  gave  her  two  broadsides  with 
our  great  guns  and  small  arms,  which  she  returned  in  the  like 
manner,  but  her  intention  was  for  boarding  us,  he  at  last  came 
up  on  our  starboard  quarter,  with  a  stinkpot  fast  to  the  end  of 
his  gaff,  thinking  to  swing  it  on  board,  but  one  of  the  Trantee 
slaves  shot  it  away  with  his  musquet.  He  then  grappled  our 
main  chains,  and  we  lay  together  yardarm  and  yardarm  for 


THE  MASSACRE  AT  OLD  CALABAR.  565 

above  one  glass,  when  he  thought  proper  to  sheer  off,  having 
got  his  belly  full.  I  had  about  fifty  men,  black  and  white,  on 
deck  at  great  guns  and  small  arms,  halfpikes,  boathooks,  boat 
oars,  steering-sail-yards,  firewood,  and  slack  ballast,  which 
they  threw  at  the  Frenchmen  in  such  a  manner  that  their  heads 
rattled  against  one  another  like  so  many  empty  callibashes. 

"My  people  all  behaved  very  well,  both  white  and  black. 
We  lost  a  white  man  named  Peter  Cane  ;  myself  wounded,  and 
five  other  white  people,  as  likewise  seven  blacks,  one  of  which 
is  since  dead,  the  other  six  I  am  in  hopes  will  recover.  The 
Frenchmen  hove  such  a  large  quantity  of  powder  flasks  on 
board  us,  that  the  ship  abaft  was  all  in  a  blaze  of  fire  three 
different  times  ;  this  hurt  the  blacks  much,  having  no  trowsers 
on  them.  I  had  my  own  shirt  burnt  off  my  back.  After  that  I 
received  a  ball  through  my  right  shoulder,  but,  thank  God,  it 
was  in  the  latter  part  of  the  action,  so  that  I  did  not  lose  much 
blood.  On  the  doctor's  examining  my  wound,  he  found  the 
ball  was  gone  clean  through  my  shoulder." 

The  Rose  carried  12  guns,  three  and  four-pounders,  and 
30  white  people.  On  the  i2th  of  June  in  the  following  year, 
she  was  taken  on  the  Coast  of  Africa,  by  two  French  frigates 
and  a  cutter,  and  sent  to  England  as  a  cartel  with  prisoners. 

The  Othello  (Letter  of  Marque)  Captain  Johnson,  a  slave- 
ship  belonging  to  Messrs.  Hey  wood  &  Co.,  on  her  voyage 
to  the  coast  of  Africa,  took  the  St.  Anne,  300  tons  burthen, 
from  Buenos  Ayres  for  Cadiz,  with  a  cargo  of  8,500  dry 
hides,  1 80  boxes  of  Peruvian  bark,  and  four  sacks  of  fine 
Spanish  wool,  the  whole  valued  at  ,£20,000.*  The  prize- 
master  put  into  Killybegs,  in  September,  1781,  to  await 
orders  from  the  Messrs.  Heywood,  before  venturing  to  pro- 
ceed to  Liverpool,  on  account  of  the  swarm  of  the  enemies' 
privateers  on  the  coast  and  in  the  Channel. 

'"  The  unfortunate  owner  of  a  considerable  part  of  the  cargo,  a  Spanish  gentle- 
man, who  spoke  very  had  English,  was  on  board  the  prize  when  taken.  He  told  a 
horril'le  tale  of  a  rebellion  which  had  broken  out  in  several  provinces  of  South 
America,  particularly  Cuzco,  where  the  native  Indians  had  hanged  the  governor, 
and  driven  500  Christians  into  a  church,  to  which  they  set  fire,  and  destroyed  them. 


566  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLAVE  TRADE. 

In  the  spring  of  the  year  1783,  the  Othello  was  taken,  on 
the  coast  of  Africa,  by  the  crew,  and  retaken  by  the  second 
mate  and  the  doctor,  but  not  until  Captain  Johnson  had  lost 
his  life  in  attempting  to  quell  the  mutiny.  In  July  of  the 
same  year,  we  read  of  her  being  cast  away  on  her  passage 
from  Africa  to  Tortola,  on  the  east  of  that  island ;  the  cargo, 
consisting  of  213  slaves,  was  saved. 

On  the  yth  of  December,  1781,  the  Nelly,  Captain 
Fairweather,  on  her  passage  from  Africa  to  Jamaica,  with 
429  slaves  on  board,  was  wrecked  in  the  night  upon  the 
Grand  Canaries  ;  108  of  the  slaves,  and  one  of  the  crew 
perished.  The  remainder  of  the  blacks  were  shipped  in  a 
vessel  the  captain  purchased,  and  sent  to  Jamaica. 

The  peace  of  1783  infused  new  life  into  the  trade,  which 
had  been  languishing  for  nine  years  ;  the  number  of  slave- 
ships  which  cleared  from  Liverpool  for  the  coast  of  Africa  in 
that  year  being  85,  burthen  12,294  tons,  carrying  39,170 
slaves.*  Hitherto,  no  public  demonstration  hostile  to  the 
traffic  had  been  made,  though  private  opinion  in  many  quar- 
ters was  gradually  strengthening  against  it.  The  time, 
indeed,  was  fast  approaching  when  a  small  but  devoted  band 
of  men  were  to  win  undying  renown  by  grappling  with,  and, 
after  a  fierce  and  prolonged  struggle,  slaying  a  monster  more 
hideous  than  the  Gorgon,  cruel  as  Moloch,  and  hydra-headed 
in  its  ramifications.  In  1787,  the  little  cloud,  no  bigger  than 
a  man's  hand,  appeared  in  the  political  sky  in  the  shape  of  a 
petition  to  the  House  of  Commons,  from  some  members  of 
the  Society  of  Friends,  praying  for  the  suppression  of  the 
trade  in  human  flesh. 


*  The  reader  is  warned  against  accepting  the  figures  of  Sirjames  Picton  on  this 
question,  as  he  repeatedly  gives  the  amount  of  tonnage  as  the  nivrnber  of  slaves  carried; 
for  instance,  in  this  case,  he  puts  the  number  of  slaves  at  12,294,  instead  of  39, 170. 
The  tables  in  the  Appendix  show  at  a  glance  the  number  of  vessels,  tonnage,  &c.; 
cleared  for  Africa  from  1709  to  1807. 


567 


CHAPTER    IV. 

THE  ABOLITION  MOVEMENT. 

"When  Clarkson  his  victorious  course  began, 
Unyielding"  in  the  cause  of  God  and  man, 
Wise,  patient,  persevering  to  the  end, 
No  guile  could  thwart,  no  power  his  purpose  bend. 
He  rose  o'er  Afric  like  the  sun  in  smiles, 
He  rests  in  glory  on  the  western  isles." 

THE  causes  which  led  to  the  agitation  against  the  slave-trade 
will  now  be  briefly  stated.  The  cruelty,  the  injustice,  and 
the  impolicy  of  the  traffic  had  been  exposed  in  Dr.  Beattie's 
"Essay  on  Truth"  (1770),  in  Adam  Smith's  "Wealth  of 
Nations"  (1776),  in  Paley's  "Moral  Philosophy"  (1785), 
and  in  John  Wesley's  "Thoughts  on  Slavery."  The  pulpit 
began  to  denounce  the  evil,  and  the  spirit  moved  the  Quakers 
of  America  and  England  to  the  most  vigorous  and  chivalrous 
crusade  against  a  traffic  so  peculiarly  revolting  to  their 
humane  and  pacific  tenets.  In  the  year  1776,  Mr.  David 
Hartley,  member  for  Hull,  brought  the  question  before 
Parliament.  It  was  reserved,  however,  for  Granville  Sharp, 
the  champion  of  the  negro  Somerset,  to  call  public  attention 
to  a  case  which  did  more  than  any  collection  of  essays  to 
stamp  the  horrors  of  the  trade  upon  the  minds  of  disinterested 
persons,  and  produced  an  earnest  desire  for  its  abolition.  It 
was  a  cause  tried  at  Guildhall,  in  the  year  1783,  in  which 
certain  underwriters  were  heard  against  Gregson  and  others, 
of  Liverpool,  owners  of  the  slave-ship  Zong,  Captain 


568  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 

Collingwood.  It  was  alleged  that  the  captain  and  officers 
of  that  vessel  had  thrown  overboard  into  the  sea  132  living 
slaves,  in  order  to  defraud  the  underwriters,  by  claiming  the 
value  of  the  same,  as  if  they  had  been  lost  in  a  natural  way. 
It  came  out  in  the  evidence  that  the  slaves  on  board  the 
Zong  were  very  sickly  ;  that  sixty  had  already  died,  and 
several  were  ill  and  likely  to  follow,  when  Captain  Colling- 
wood proposed  to  James  Kelsall,  the  mate,  and  others,  to 
throw  several  of  the  negroes  overboard,  stating  that  if  they 
died  a  natural  death,  the  loss  would  fall  upon  the  owners, 
but  that  if  they  were  thrown  into  the  sea,  it  would  fall  upon 
the  underwriters.  He  accordingly  selected  132  of  the  most 
sickly  of  the  slaves,  54  of  whom  were  immediately  thrown 
overboard,  and  42  on  the  following  day.  A  few  days  later, 
the  remaining  26  were  brought  upon  deck.  The  first  batch 
of  16  submitted  to  be  thrown  into  the  sea,  but  the  rest,  with 
a  noble  resolution,  would  not  permit  the  officers  to  touch 
them,  and  leaped  overboard  after  their  companions. 

In  May,  1787,  the  Society  for  the  Abolition  of  the  African 
Slave  trade  was  instituted  in  London.  The  Committee  con- 
sisted of  Granville  Sharp  (chairman,  and  father  of  the  cause 
in  England),  William  Dillwyn  (an  American  Quaker), 
Samuel  Hoare,  George  Harrison,  John  Lloyd,  Joseph 
Woods,  Thomas  Clarkson,  Richard  Phillips,  John  Barton, 
Joseph  Hooper,  James  Phillips,  and  Philip  Sansom.  With 
the  exception  of  Sharp,  Clarkson,  and  Sansom,  all  the 
members  were  of  the  Society  of  Friends.  At  a  meeting 
held  on  the  7th  of  June,  Mr.  Barton  informed  the  members 
that  Mr.  William  Roscoe,  of  Liverpool,  author  of  a  poem 
entitled,  "The  Wrongs  of  Africa,"  had  offered  the  profits 
that  might  arise  from  the  sale  of  that  work,  to  the  committee 
towards  furthering  their  cause.  This  offer,  coming  from  the 
head-quarters  of  the  iniquity,  was  deemed  very  encouraging, 
especially  as  the  preface  to  the  poem  was  written  by  Dr. 
Currie,  another  dweller  in  the  tents  of  unrighteousness. 


THE  ABOLITION  MOVEMENT.  569 

This  poem,  the  second  part  of  which -was  published  the  next 
year,  was  well  received  by  the  public,  and  afterwards  trans- 
lated into  German.  In  his  juvenile  poem  of  "Mount 
Pleasant,"  written  in  1771,  and  published  in  1777,  Mr. 
Roscoe  had  previously  voiced  his  abhorrence  of  the  un- 
hallowed traffic.  In  1787,  he  published  a  temperate  and 
masterly  pamphlet  entitled,  "A  General  View  of  the  African 
Slave  Trade,  demonstrating  its  injustice  and  impolicy;  with 
hints  towards  a  bill  for  its  abolition."  "I  rejoice,"  writes 
good  Quaker  Barton  to  him,  "to  find  that  thy  pamphlet  has 
occasioned  a  ferment  amongst  the  African  merchants  at 
Liverpool,  and  I  trust  it  will  occasion  a  ferment  amongst 
our  senators  likewise,  and  produce  the  conviction  we  so 
much  wish  them  to  feel." 

William  Roscoe,  the  man  who  had  the  courage  to  deliver 
this  straight  blow  from  the  shoulder  at  the  favourite  sin  of 
his  native  town,  was  the  son  of  an  innkeeper  and  market- 
gardener,  on  the  slope  of  what  is  now  Mount  Pleasant.  In 
his  youth  he  worked  in  his  father's  garden,  and  carried 
the  potatoes  upon  his  head  to  sell  in  the  public  market. 
Then  we  trace  him,  as  a  boy,  in  a  bookseller's  shop,  and 
from  there  to  an  attorney's  office.  He  conquered  the  dead 
languages ;  he  made  himself  master  of  many  living  tongues ; 
and  then,  emerging  as  an  attorney,  banker,  poet,  and  his- 
torian of  a  high  order,  displayed  an  erudition  rare  in  those 
who  have  not  enjoyed  university  training,  combined  with  an 
elegance  and  originality  of  style,  which  achieved  a  world- 
wide reputation,  and  caused  him  to  be  sought  out  by  the 
illustrious  and  learned  of  every  land.  In  Italy,  the  name  of 
the  historian  of  Lorenzo  the  Magnificent,  and  of  the  Ponti- 
ficate of  Leo  the  Tenth,  was  a  passport  in  all  cultivated 
society,  and  even  in  his  native  town,  where  his  sentiments 
regarding  the  slave  trade  were  hateful  to  the  majority  of  the 
people,  he  was  not  without  honour;  and  when  the  stroke  of 
undeserved  misfortune  bowed  the  noble  head,  it  was  admitted 


570  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 

that  he  had  "worn  the  white  flower  of  a  blameless  life,"  and 
kept  unsullied  his  escutcheon  as  one  of  Nature's  noblemen. 
During  the  last  hundred  years  the  names  of  two  illustrious 
sons  of  Liverpool  have  stood  out  on  the  roll  of  history,  con- 
spicuous for  their  combination  of  moral  worth  with  rare 
intellectual  and  literary  powers.  One  of  them — William 
Roscoe — has  long  since  passed  away;  the  other — William 
Ewart  Gladstone — is  still  amongst  us,  with  mental  forces 
unimpaired  at  eighty-eight.  These  two  great  men  and  great 
scholars  were  born  within  bowshot  of  each  other. 

In  January,  1788,  the  Society  for  the  Abolition  of  the 
African  Slave  Trade  made  its  first  appearance  before  the 
public  of  Liverpool  with  a  well-written  address,  designed  to 
prove  that  the  traffic,  which  was  then  said  to  bring  about 
^"300,000  a  year  into  the  Port  of  Liverpool,  was  immoral 
and  unjust,  and  one  which  ought  to  be  abolished,  as 
unworthy  of  a  Christian  people.  A  list  of  the  members  of 
the  Society*  was  published  in  the  same  year,  from  which  it 
appears  that  there  were  eight  righteous  persons  still  left  in 
Liverpool,  who  had  not  bowed  the  knee  to  Baal.  Their 
names,  and  the  amount  of  their  subscriptions,  were  as 

follows  : — 

£    s.    d. 
Anonymous,  Liverpool       ...          ...          ...          ...      2     2     o 

Dr.  Jonathan  Binns,  Liverpool     .-          ...  ...      i      i     o 

Mr.  Daniel  Dauiby,  Liverpool      ...          ...  ...      i      i     o 

Mr.  William  Rathbone,  Liverpool  ...  ...     2   12     6 

Mr.  William  Rathbone,  Junr. ,  Liverpool  ...      2     2     o 

Mr.  William  Roscoe,  Liverpool   ...          ...  ...      i      i     o 

Mr.  William  Wallace,  Liverpool...          ...  ...220 

Mr.  John  Yates,  Liverpool  ...          ...  ...     2     2     o 

These  worthy  men,  however,  were  not  all  the  enemies  of 
the  trade  in  Liverpool,  even  at  that  early  period.     The  blind 

*Baines,  Picton,  and  others  state  that  only  two  Liverpool  names — those  of 
William  Rathbone  and  Dr.  Binns — figured  in  the  list  of  original  members.  In  the 
printed  list  at  the  Picton  Reference  Library,  we  find  eight  subscribers,  as  above. 
"  Anonymous  "  was  probably  Dr.  Currie. 


THE  ABOLITION  MOVEMENT.  571 

poet,  Edward  Rushton,  sang  the  wrongs  of  the  negro  in 
vigorous,  manly  verse.  Mr.  Clarkson  has  inscribed  his 
name,  along  with  that  of  Roscoe,  and  Dr.  Currie,  in  his 
map  of  the  pioneers  in  the  great  cause  of  abolition,  because 
each  of  the  three,  acting  independently,  published  his  work 
on  behalf  of  the  poor  African,  before  any  public  or  combined 
agitation  had  been  commenced.  Rushton,  indeed,  though 
residing  in  Liverpool,  had  been  bold  enough  to  affix  his 
name  to  his  work,  entitled,  u  West  Indian  Eclogues."  His 
story  is  a  remarkable  one.  Born  at  Liverpool  in  1756, 
educated  at  the  Free  School,  and,  when  about  eleven  years 
of  age,  apprenticed  to  the  sea,  in  the  employ  of  Messrs. 
Watt  &  Gregson,  merchants,  he  had  an  early  experience  of 
the  horrors  of  the  slave  trade.  When  he  was  sixteen  years  of 
age,  the  vessel  in  which  he  served  was  in  danger  of  ship- 
wreck ;  the  captain  and  crew  gave  up  all  for  lost,  and 
abandoned  themselves  to  despair.  Young  Rushton  seized 
the  helm,  saved  the  ship,  and  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of 
second  mate.  He  sailed  as  mate  on  a  voyage  to  Guinea, 
and  while  on  the  coast,  contracted  a  friendship  for  a  negro 
named  Ouamina,  whom  he  taught  to  read.  Going  one  day 
to  the  shore  with  a  boat's  crew,  of  which  Quamina  was  one, 
the  boat  upset.  Rushton  swam  towards  a  small  water  cask, 
which  point  of  safety  Quamina  had  previously  attained,  and 
when  the  negro  saw  that  his  friend  was  too  much  exhausted 
to  reach  the  cask,  he  pushed  it  towards  him,  bade  him  good 
bye,  and  sank  to  rise  no  more.  Rushton  afterwards  lost 
his  sight  in  an  attempt  to  relieve  the  sufferings  of  a  cargo 
of  slaves,  afflicted  with  ophthalmia.  An  ardent  love  of 
freedom  constituted  a  leading  feature  in  Mr.  Rushton's 
character  through  life.  The  idea  of  the  Liverpool  School 
for  the  Blind  is  said  to  have  originated  with  him.  His  son 
became  stipendiary  magistrate  of  Liverpool  in  May,  1839. 

Another  of  the  gallant  little  band  of  Reformers,  who  dared 
to  unfurl,  in  the  very  stronghold  of  the  enemy,  the  standard 


57'2  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 

of  truth,  liberty  and  justice,  was  Dr.  James  Currie,  a  native 
of  Annandale,  and  father  of  William  Wallace  Currie,  who 
became  first  Mayor  of  Liverpool,  under  the  Municipal 
Corporations  Bill.  Dr.  Currie,  then  rising"  into  notice  as  a 
physician  in  the  town,  had  the  courage  to  risk  popularity 
and  practice  by  writing  in  defence  of  the  down-trodden 
African,  and  in  reprobation  of  the  slave  trade,  and  it  may 
be  that  the  fact  of  his  doing  so  will  be  remembered,  when 
his  biography  of  Burns,  which  disgusted  Charles  Lamb, 
is  forgotten. 

In  March,  1788,  two  months  after  the  Abolition  Society 
had  broken  ground  in  Liverpool,  the  slave-merchants  put 
forth  or  found  a  champion  worthy  of  their  cause,  in  the 
person  of  the  Rev.  Raymond  Harris,*  a  Spanish  Jesuit,  of 
English  extraction,  who  had  settled  in  Liverpool.  This 
reverend  defender  of  iniquity  put  forth  a  pamphlet  entitled, 
"  Scriptural  Researches  on  the  Licitness  of  the  Slave  Trade, 
showing  its  conformity  with  the  principles  of  Natural  and 
Revealed  Religion,  delineated  in  the  sacred  writings  of 
the  Word  of  God."  We  need  not  do  more  than  indicate  the 
singular  specimens  of  sophistry  and  perversity  that 
characterised  this  production.  The  author  contended  "  that 
no  one  could  doubt  the  licitness  of  the  slave  trade,  who 
believed  that  the  Bible  was  the  Word  of  God.  In  proof  ot 
this  assertion  he  first  laid  it  down  as  an  axiom,  that  whatever 
practices  were  mentioned  in  either  the  Old  Testament  or  the 
New,  with  implied  approbation,  were  sanctioned  by  God, 
and  would  continue  to  be  lawful  through  all  time.  This  he 
contended,  was  the  case  with  slavery  and  the  slave  trade. 
His  first  example  was  that  of  Hagar,  slave  of  Sarah, 
Abraham's  wife,  who  having  fled  from  her  mistress,  in 
consequence  of  having  been  hardly  dealt  with  by  her,  was 

*  He  was  born  at  Bilbao,  4th  September,  1744. ;  admitted  S.J.,  1758  ;  expatriated 
from  Corsica,  April  1st,  1767  ;  was  afterwards  chaplain  at  Walton  Hall  ;  removed 
to  Liverpool,  where  he  officiated  at  the  Catholic  Church,  in  Edmund  Street. 
Whilst  there  he  was  thrice  suspended  by  his  Bishop. 


ABOLITION  MOVEMENT.  573 

ordered  by  God  to  return,  and  humble  herself  under  the 
hand  of  her  mistress.  A  second  example  was  that  of  the 
patriarch  Joseph,  who  had  bought  the  whole  people  of  Egypt 
for  King  Pharaoh,  during  the  seven  years  of  famine.  A 
third  was  that  of  the  Gibeonites,  who  had  been  condemned 
to  be  hewers  of  wood  and  drawers  of  water  for  ever  to  the 
Israelites.  Many  other  instances,  equally  apposite,  followed, 
and  the  general  inference  which  the  author  drew  from  them 
all  was,  that  the  slave  trade  was  a  '  licit '  occupation,  and 
that  those  who  did  not  believe  it  to  be  so,  did  not  believe  their 
Bibles."* 

This  astounding  vindication  of  man-stealing  so  delighted 
the  Corporation  that  they  presented  the  reverend  sophist 
with  a  gratuity  of  ,£100.  Lord  Hawkesbury  (afterwards 
Earl  of  Liverpool)  actually  condescended  to  distribute  some 
of  Harris's  precious  "  Researches,"  recommending  them  at 
the  same  time  as  containing  unanswerable  arguments  in 
favour  of  the  slave  trade. 

While  those  who  were  interested  in  the  traffic  admired 
the  reverend  gentleman's  "bold  attempt  to  degrade  the 
noblest  of  all  the  attributes  of  the  Deity — his  justice  and  his 
mercy" — others  were  filled  with  indignation  and  loathing  at 
its  appearance.  Dr.  Currie,  a  man  of  cool  and  dispassionate 
judgment,  thus  speaks  of  the  trade  and  its  advocate  in  a 
letter  to  a  friend  : — 

"  The  general  discussion  of  the  slavery  of  the  negroes  has 
produced  much  unhappiness  in  Liverpool.  Men  are  awaking 
to  their  situation,  and  the  struggle  between  interest  and  hu- 
manity has  made  great  havoc  in  the  happiness  of  many  families. 
If  I  were  to  attempt  to  tell  you  the  history  of  my  own  transac- 
tions in  this  business,  I  should  consume  more  time  than  I  can 
spare.  Altogether  I  have  felt  myself  more  interested  and  less 
happy  than  is  suited  to  my  other  avocations.  The  attempts 

*Thomas  Baines's  "  History  of  Liverpool,"  pp.  472-3. 


574  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 

that  are  continually  made  to  justify  this  gross  violation  of  the 
principles  of  justice  one  cannot  help  repelling-;  and  at  the  same 
time  it  is  dreadful  to  hold  an  argument  where,  if  your  opponent 
is  convinced,  he  must  be  made  miserable.  A  little  scoundrel — 
a  Spanish  Jesuit — has  advanced  to  the  assistance  of  the  slave- 
merchants,  and  has  published  a  vindication  of  this  traffic  from 
the  Old  Testament.  His  work  is  extolled  as  a  prodigy  by 
these  judges  of  composition,  and  is  in  truth  no  bad  specimen 
of  his  talents,  though  egregiously  false  and  sophistical,  as  all 
justifications  of  slavery  must  be.  I  have  prompted  a  clergy- 
man— a.  friend  of  mine — to  answer  him,  by  telling  him  that  if 
such  be  religion,  I  would  'none  on't.'); 

Harris's  pamphlet  was  promptly  answered  by  several 
writers,  who  had  no  great  difficulty  in  showing  that  if  his 
argument  proved  anything,  "it  proved  a  great  deal  too 
much  ;  for  it  proved  that  the  marrying  of  three  or  four 
wives  at  one  time  was  a  commendable  practice  ;  made  it  a 
matter  of  duty  to  stone  all  blasphemers  to  death  ;  and 
justify  true  believers,  not  only  in  making  slaves  of  heathen 
nations,  but  in  exterminating  them  with  fire  and  sword. 
Among  those  who  published  rejoinders  were  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Hughes  and  the  Rev.  Henry  Dannett,  M.A.,  minister  of 
St.  John's  Church,  whose  pamphlet  was  entitled,  "A 
Particular  Examination  of  Mr.  Harris's  Scriptural  Re 
searches  on  the  Licitness  of  the  Slave  Trade." 

The  most  eloquent  answer,  however,  to  Harris's  work 
was  that  of  William  Roscoe,  entitled,  "A  Scriptural  Refu- 
tation of  a  Pamphlet  lately  published  by  the  Rev.  Raymond 
Harris,  entitled  '  Scriptural  Researches  on  the  Licitness  of 
the  Slave  Trade,'  in  four  letters  from  the  Author  to  a 
Friend."  This  rejoinder  immediately  attracted  the  attention 
of  the  London  Abolition  Committee,  who  pronounced  it  the 
work  of  a  master,  thanked  the  author  for  the  important 
service  he  had  rendered  to  the  cause,  and  arranged  with  him 
for  the  issue  of  a  new  edition  on  his  own  terms. 


THE  ABOLITION  MOVEMENT.  575 

Nothing  daunted,  the  Rev.  Raymond  Harris,  mounted 
on  his  good  steed,  ''Sophistry,"  again  entered  the  lists  as 
the  champion  of  "licit"  man-stealing;  but  his  death,  very 
soon  afterwards,  left  the  controversy  to  be  carried  on  by 
writers  who  argued  the  question  on  behalf  of  the  merchants 
as  one  of  profit  and  political  expediency,  rather  than  of  right 
and  wrong.  The  line  of  defence  adopted  in  the  news- 
papers and  pamphlets  of  the  day  was  the  great  importance 
and  magnitude  of  the  trade  ;  the  ruin  of  the  West  India 
Islands  if  the  supply  of  "labourers  from  Africa"  were 
discontinued  ;  that  slavery  was  rather  a  blessing  than 
otherwise  for  the  negroes  themselves  ;  and  that  the  blacks 
were  an  inferior  race,  incapable  of  living  as  free  men. 

While  collecting  evidence  on  behalf  of  Abolition,  the 
Rev.  Thomas  Clarkson  visited  Liverpool,  and  soon  found 
himself  in  dramatic  situations.  He  called  upon  Mr. 
William  Rathbone,  Mr.  Isaac  Hadwen,  Dr.  Binns  (all  of 
the  noble  people  called  Quakers),  Mr.  Roscoe,  Dr.  Currie, 
and  Mr.  Edward  Rushton.  Mr.  Rathbone,  than  whom 
the  negro  had  no  better  friend,  had  supplied  Mr.  Clarkson 
(through  their  fellow-worker,  Mr.  James  Phillips,  of 
London)  with  copies  of  the  muster-rolls  of  Guineamen,  from 
ihe  Custom-house  at  Liverpool.  The  revelations  of  mor- 
tality among  the  seamen  in  the  slave  trade  made  by  these 
muster-rolls,  had  an  important  bearing  upon  the  agitation, 
and  helped  to  explode  the  theory  that  the  employment  was 
"a  nursery  for  seamen."  Mr.  Rathbone,  desirous  that  Mr. 
Clarkson  should  have  reliable  information,  introduced  him 
to  Mr.  Robert  Norris,  a  merchant,  who  had  formerly  been 
a  slave-captain,  and  who  was  writing  a  history  of  Dahomey, 

*  Jonathan  Binns,  M.D.,  was  for  many  years  senior  physician  to  the  Liverpool 
Dispensary.  He  published,  at  Edinburgh,  in  1762,  Dissertatio  Medica  in  Angii- 
ralis  de  Exercitatione.  He  superintended,  for  some  time,  the  school  belonging  to 
the  Society  of  Friends,  in  Yorkshire,  and  whilst  there,  published  an  English 
Grammar,  and  also  a  Vocabulary.  He  removed  to  Lancaster,  where  he  practised 
as  a  physician  until  the  time  of  his  death,  in  1812,  aged  65  years.  — "  bmithers' 
History,"  p.  433. 


576  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 

and  a  life  of  the  King,  who  sold-  his  own  subjects  to  the 
slave-captains.  Mr.  Norris,  at  this  time,  made  no  secret  of 
the  facts  with  which  he  was  priming  Mr.  Clarkson,  and 
even  ''answered  in  a  solid  manner"  the  arguments  of  a 
slave-merchant  named  Coupland,  who  fired  up  and  defended 
the  humanity  and  policy  of  the  trade.  Finally,  Mr.  Norris 
drew  up  certain  clauses,  which,  if  made  law,  would  effect 
the  abolition  of  the  traffic.  Strange  to  say,  Mr.  Norris 
afterwards  completely  changed  his  front,  and  became  one  of 
the  champions  of  the  trade,  receiving  the  thanks  of  the 
Corporation  for  his  exertions,  which  were  further  acknow- 
ledged, after  his  decease,  by  the  grant  to  his  widow  of  a  life 
annuity  of  £100  from  the  Corporate  funds. 

Mr.  Clarkson  found  a  sympathiser  in  Captain  Chaffers, 
who  had  been  in  the  West  India  employ,  and  who  offered 

to  introduce  him  to  Captain  L ,  whose  long  experience 

in  the  slave  trade  would  be  invaluable  to  the  abolitionist. 

The  two  accordingly  called  upon  Captain  L ,  who,  in 

speaking  of  the  productions  of  Africa,  happened  to  mention 
that  mahogany  trees,  the  height  of  a  tall  chimney,  grew  at 
Calabar.  Then  a  curious  scene  ensued  :— 

"As  soon  as  he  mentioned  Calabar,"  says  Mr.  Clarkson, 
"a  kind  of  horror  came  over  me.  His  name  became  directly 
associated  in  my  mind  with  the  place.  It  almost  instantly 
occurred  to  me,  that  he  commanded  the  Edgar  out  of  Liverpool, 
when  the  dreadful  massacre  there  took  place.  Indeed  I  seemed 
to  be  so  confident  of  it,  that  attending  more  to  my  feelings  than 
to  my  reason  at  this  moment,  I  accused  him  with  being  con- 
cerned in  it.  This  produced  great  confusion  among  us.  For 
he  looked  incensed  at  Captain  Chaffers,  as  if  he  had  introduced 
me  to  him  for  this  purpose.  Captain  Chaffers  again  seemed  to 
be  all  astonishment  that  I  should  have  known  of  this  circum- 
stance, and  to  be  vexed  that  I  should  have  mentioned  it  in 
such  a  manner.  I  was  also  in  a  state  of  trembling  myself. 
Captain  L could  only  say  it  was  a  bad  business.  But  he 


THE  ABOLITION  MOVEMENT.  577 

never  defended  himself,  nor  those  concerned  in  it.      And  we 
soon  parted,  to  the  great  joy  of  us  all." 

On  his  first  arrival  in  the  town,  Mr.  Clarkson  found  the 
people  ready  enough  to  talk  about  the  slave  trade.  Horrible 
facts  were  in  everybody's  mouth,  and  it  seemed  to  him  that 
the  inhabitants  were  no  longer  capable  of  being  surprised  at 
the  extent  of  their  own  wickedness.  From  this  callousness 
he  expected  to  extract  the  damnatory  evidence  for  which  he 
yearned.  After  the  argument  with  Mr.  Coupland,  and  the 

scene  with  Captain  L ,  however,  he  found  that  attention 

of  an  unpleasant  character  had  been  drawn  to  the  purpose 
of  his  visit,  and  information  was  no  longer  obtainable.  Slave- 
merchants,  slave-captains,  and  others,  dropped  into  the 
"King's  Arms,"  where  he  was  staying,  and  gazed  at  him  as 
an  animal  exceedingly  rare  and  somewhat  to  be  feared. 
Dale,  the  master  of  the  tavern,  was  delighted  with  the 
custom  his  new  guest  attracted.  Many  of  the  callers  dined 
there,  and  entered  into  warm  arguments  with  the  enemy  of 
"the  trade;"  some  provoked  and  insulted  him,  others  hinted 
that  men  were  going  about  to  abolish  the  slave  trade  who 
would  have  done  much  better  if  they  had  stayed  at  home. 
One  said  that  he  had  heard  of  a  person  turned  mad,  who 
had  conceived  the  thought  of  destroying  Liverpool  and  all 
its  glory;  while  another,  laughing  boisterously,  raised  his 
glass  and  gave  as  a  toast,  "Success  to  the  trade,"  watching 
if  Clarkson  would  drink  it.  Mr.  Clarkson,  fortunately,  had 
with  him  Mr.  Falconbridge,  of  Bristol,  who  had  been  in  the 
slave  trade.  He  was  an  athletic  and  resolute  looking  man 
who,  when  the  slave-captains  ridiculed  Clarkson's  statements 
and  asked  if  he  had  ever  been  on  the  Coast,  used  to  strike  in 
with,  "But  I  have;  I  know  all  your  proceedings  there,  and 
that  his  statements  are  true."  This  went  on  day  by  day, 
until  the  situation  became  dangerous.  The  friends  of  Abo- 
lition saw  him  privately,  said  he  was  right,  and  exhorted  him 

to  persevere  ;  but  fear  of  having  their  houses  pulled  down 
20 


578  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 

held  them  back  from  giving  evidence  publicly  against  the 
man-traffic.  These  were  not  idle  fears,  for  Dr.  Binns  had 
nearly  fallen  into  a  plot  laid  against  him  because  he  was  a 
subscriber  to  the  Abolition  Society,  and  was  suspected  of 
aiding  Mr.  Clarkson.  That  brave-hearted  man,  without  ab- 
solutely leaving  the  "King's  Arms,"  took  rooms  in  William- 
son-square, where  he  was  visited  by  seamen  from  the  Guinea 
ships,  whose  stories  of  wrong,  murder,  and  ill-treatment, 
made  his  life  a  misery.  The  hostility  against  him  increased. 
He  received  anonymous  letters  entreating  him  to  leave  the 
town  immediately,  or  he  should  never  leave  it  alive.  The  only 
effect  these  threats  had  upon  him  was  to  make  him  more  vigi- 
lant when  he  went  out  at  night,  which  he  never  did  without 
Falconbridge,  who,  unknown  to  him,  went  about  well  armed. 
That  Mr.  Clarkson's  life  wras  in  danger  at  this  time  seems 
undeniable.  When  he  was  standing  on  the  pier-head  one 
day,  a  gang  of  men  closed  upon  him  and  bore  him  back 
within  a  yard  of  the  precipice,  when  perceiving  his  danger, 
he  darted  forward,  knocking  one  of  the  ruffians  down,  which 
broke  their  ranks,  and  enabled  him  to  escape,  "not  without 
blows,  amidst  their  imprecations  and  abuse."  Amongst 
them  he  recognised  the  murderer  of  the  steward  of  a 
Guinea  ship,  around  whom  he  was  drawing  the  coils  of 
justice,  and  two  others  who  had  insulted  him  at  the  "  King's 
Arms." 

Mr.  Clarkson  paid  a  visit  to  Lancaster,  where  he  learned 
that  the  slave-merchants  of  the  place  made  their  outfits  at 
Liverpool,  as  a  more  convenient  port.  Lancaster,  too,  was 
then  under  a  cloud  in  the  African  trade.  The  captain  of 
the  last  slave-ship  which  sailed  thence  to  the  Coast,  had 
taken  off  so  many  of  the  natives  treacherously,  that  any 
other  vessel  known  to  come  from  Lancaster  would  be  cut 
off.  There  were  then  only  one  or  two  superannuated  slave- 
captains  living  in  the  town.  On  looking  over  the  muster- 
rolls  at  the  Custom-house,  Mr.  Clarkson  found  that  the  loss 


THE  ABOLITION  MOVEMENT.  579 

of  seamen  was  precisely  in  the  same  proportion  as  at  other 
ports. 

On  his  return  to  Liverpool,  he  learned  from  Mr.  Falcon- 
bridge  that  during  his  absence  visitors  had  continued  to 
call  at  the  ''King's  Arms,"  to  deliver  their  abuse  of  him, 
and  that  one  of  them  had  said  that  "he  deserved  to  be  thrown 
over  the  pier-head." 

Mr.  Clarkson  had  now  collected  in  London,  Bristol,  and 
Liverpool,  the  names  of  more  than  20,003  seamen  who  had 
made  different  voyages,  and  he  knew  what  had  become  of 
each  man.  As  the  Committee  in  London  were  pressing 
him  to  write  an  Essay  on  the  impolicy  of  the  Slave  Trade, 
he  bade  farewell  to  his  few  friends  in  Liverpool.  To  one 
of  them  he  refers  as  follows  :-— 

"The  last  of  these  was  William  Rathbone,  and  I  have  to 
regret  that  it  was  also  the  last  time  I  ever  saw  him.  Inde- 
pendently of  the  gratitude  I  owed  him  for  assisting  me  in  this 
great  cause,  I  respected  him  highly  as  a  man.  He  possessed 
a  fine  understanding,  with  a  solid  judgment.  He  was  a 
person  of  extraordinary  simplicity  of  manners.  Though  he 
lived  in  a  state  of  pecuniary  independence,  he  gave  an  example 
of  great  temperance,  as  well  as  of  great  humility  of  mind. 
But,  however  humble  he  appeared,  he  had  always  the 
courage  to  dare  to  do  that  which  was  right,  however  it  might 
resist  the  customs  or  the  prejudices  of  men.  In  his  own  line 
of  trade,  which  was  that  of  a  timber  merchant  on  an  extensive 
scale,  he  would  not  allow  any  article  to  be  sold  for  the  use  of 
a  slave-ship,  and  he  always  refused  those  who  applied  to 
him  for  materials  for  such  purposes.  But  it  is  evident  that 
it  was  his  intention,  if  he  had  lived,  to  bear  his  testimony 
still  more  publicly  upon  this  subject  ;  for  an  advertisement, 
stating  the  ground  of  his  refusal  to  furnish  anything  for  this 
traffic,  upon  Christian  principles,  with  a  memorandum  for 
two  advertisements  in  the  Liverpool  papers,  was  found 
among  his  papers  at  his  decease." 
Mr.  Rathbone  resided  in  Liver-street,  and  afterwards  in 


980  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 

Cornhill.  He  was  a  fine,  venerable-looking  man,  with 
dark  eyebrows  and  flowing,  silvery  hair.  He  was  very 
highly  respected,  and  it  is  said  that  he  was  not  surpassed 
by  any  contemporary  individual  in  Liverpool  in  acts  of 
benevolence  and  charity.  In  1805,  he  published  "Memoirs 
of  the  Proceedings  of  the  Quakers  in  Ireland."  Mr. 
Rathbone  died  in  February,  1809.  It  had  been  his  custom 
to  inscribe  in  a  book  devoted  to  that  purpose  the  names  of 
those  of  his  family  whom  he  had  lost  by  death.  In  this 
volume,  his  bosom  friend,  William  Roscoe,  has,  in  his  own 
hand,  thus  recorded  the  death  of  his  friend  :— 

"  nth  FEBRUARY,    1809. 

"  William  Rathbone  died  at  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning, 
aged  51  years  and  8  months. 

"  This  domestic  record  which  contains  the  brief  memorials 
of  his  beloved  and  respected  relatives,  registered  by  his  own 
hand,  and  endeared  by  the  warm  expression  of  his  affection, 
now  receives  the  honoured  name  of 

"William  Rathbone,* 
"  Of  Liverpool,  Merchant  ; 

"a  name  which  will  ever  be  distinguished  by  independence, 
probity,  and  true  benevolence,  and  will  remain  as  an  example 
to  his  descendants  of  genuine  piety,  patient  resignation,  and 
of  all  those  virtues  which  give  energy  to  a  community,  adorn 
society,  and  are  the  delight  of  private  life. 

"  Through  life  beloved  !     O  let  this  votive  line 
Unite  in  death  its  author's  name  with  thine. 

"  WILLIAM  ROSCOE." 

The  agitation  of  this  question  by  a  man  like  Clarkson, 
who,  with  invincible  patience,  zeal,  and  faith,  hunted  up 
the  most  astounding  facts  and  made  them  public  in  his 


*Mi.  Richard  Brooke,  who  died  in  1852,  in  his  gand  year,  knew  five  out  of 
seven  William  Rathbone'sin  successive  generations,  namely  : — a  great-great-grand- 
father, a  great-grandfather,  grandfather,  father,  and  son.  What  is  more  remarkable 
perhaps  is,  that  virtue  and  benevolence  appear  to  be  hereditary  in  this  old 
Liverpool  family. 


THE  ABOLITION  MOVEMENT.  581 

pamphlets,  and  by  Wilbefforce,  who,  in  1787,  had  become 
the  parliamentary  champion  of  abolition,  could  have  only 
one  possible  termination  ;  but  the  effects  produced  in 
Liverpool  by  the  twenty  years'  contest  between  right  and 
wrong  were  of  a  very  demoralising  character.  "The  secret 
consciousness,"  says  Sir  James  Picton,  "that  the  trade 
would  not  bear  the  light  either  of  reason,  Scripture,  or 
humanity,  combined  with  the  conviction  that  the  prosperity 
of  the  town  depended  upon  its  retention,  produced  an 
uneasy  feeling  of  suspicion  and  jealousy,  and  a  dread  of  all 
change,  which  could  not  but  impart  a  peculiar  character  to 
those  at  least  connected  with  the  occupation." 


582 


CHAPTER  V. 

HORRORS  OF  THE  MIDDLE  PASSAGE. 

"  Freighted  xvith  curses  was  the  bark  that  bore 
The  spoilers  of  the  West  to  Guinea's  shore  ; 
Heavy  with  groans  of  anguish  blew  the  gales 
That  swell'd  that  fatal  bark's  returning  sails  ; 
Old  Ocean  shrunk,  as  o'er  his  surface  flew 
The  human  cargo  and  the  demon  crew." 

WE  have  now  arrived  at  a  period  when  a  Parliamentary 
enquiry  into  the  whole  conduct  of  the  slave  trade  enables  us 
to  give  an  authoritative  account  of  the  method  of  procuring 
slaves  on  the  coast,  together  with  a  reliable  sketch  of  the 
perils  and  horrors  of  the  middle  passage. 

The  great  demand  for  slaves  made  it  the  interest  of  the 
princes  and  chiefs  of  Africa  to  procure  supplies  by  any 
means — by  war,  by  rapine,  or  perfidy.  In  their  efforts  to 
keep  pace  with  the  merchants'  cry  of  "  more,  more  !"  these 
cruel  panderers  did  not  scruple  to  turn  a  naturally  fine  and 
productive  country  into  one  continued  scene  of  devastation 
and  slaughter,  for  more  than  three  or  four  thousand  miles 
along  the  coast. 

With  a  hellish  ingenuity  the  very  crimes  of  the  country 
seemed  to  have  been  made  on  purpose  to  serve  the  interests 
of  slave-sellers  and  slave-buyers.  Theft,  adultery,  witch- 
craft, and  the  removal  of  fetiches  were  falsely  imputed  for 
the  sake  of  selling  the  accused  into  slavery,  and  some  of  the 
chief  men  were  said  to  employ  the  best  looking  women 
they  could  find,  well  dressed,  in  order  to  entice  the  unwary 


HORRORS  OF  THE  MIDDLE  PASSAGE.  583 

into  criminal  situations,  which  ensured  their  conviction,  or 
offered  a  pretext  for  selling  them  to  Europeans.  It  was,  in 
effect,  argued  by  the  defenders  of  the  trade  that  the  slaves 
procured  in  consequence  of  native  wars  would  have  been 
put  to  death,  had  not  the  slave-merchants  humanely  and 
providentially  stepped  in  and  relieved  the  native  belligerent 
powers  of  the  necessity  of  committing  wholesale  massacres. 
The  abolitionists,  however,  maintained  that  what  the  slave- 
traders  called  war  was  nothing  else  but  pillage,  robbery, 
and  kidnapping,  of  the  most  wanton,  cruel,  and  sordid 
character.  When  slave-ships  arrived  on  the  coast,  the  petty 
princes  of  the  country  sent  out  their  myrmidons  in  parties 
of  from  300  to  3000,  often  on  horseback,  to  attack  and  burn 
towns  and  villages  in  the  dead  of  night,  so  that  the  panic- 
stricken  inhabitants  were  the  more  easily  seized  and  bound, 
while  attempting  to  save  themselves  and  those  most  dear  to 
them  from  the  flames.  Every  man,  woman,  and  child  that 
could  be  secured  by  this  armed  banditti  were  carried  off 
without  mercy  ;  the  men  stripped  quite  naked,  and  chained 
together  ;  the  women  and  children  loose.  In  this  manner, 
they  were  all  driven  by  their  own  countrymen,  assisted 
sometimes  by  Europeans,  towards  the  place  of  sale,  like 
sheep  for  the  slaughter,  the  distance  to  be  travelled  before 
they  reached  the  coast  being  often  two  or  three  hundred 
miles.  Thus  the  dearest  relatives  were  torn  from  each 
other's  arms,  in  all  probability  never  more  to  meet  on  earth. 
Even  children  were  separated  from  their  parents,  except  the 
sucking  infants,  who  were  permitted,  for  obvious  reasons, 
to  accompany  the  mother.  "What  a  moving  scene," 
exclaims  Clarkson.  "  Parents  and  children,  husbands  and 
wives,  brothers  and  sisters,  not  only  forced  from  their  native 
country,  but  denied,  in  their  exile  and  captivity,  the  small 
consolation  of  mingling  their  sighs  and  tears  in  mutual 
condolence  and  commiseration !  Such  a  scene  must  exceed 
the  powers  of  language  to  express,  or  of  the  human  mind  to 


584  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLAVE  TRADE. 

conceive,  where  not  felt  or  seen."  When,  as  sometimes 
happened,  native  princes  objected  to  pillage  their  subjects 
and  sell  their  countrymen  into  bondage,  the  traders  kept 
them  in  a  state  of  intoxication  till  their  end  was  attained. 
Some  noted  traders  were  a  terror  to  the  country,  for  they 
openly  and  avowedly  kidnapped  their  brethren,  whom  they 
carried  off  gagged,  lest  their  cries  should  alarm  the  country 
as  they  passed.  This  method  was  called  "panyaring,"  and 
no  questions  were  asked  by  the  slave-captains,  whose 
business  was  to  make  up  their  cargoes  speedily.  The 
slave-ships  occasionally  expedited  this  desirable  object  by 
capturing  canoes  at  sea,  and  along  the  coast.  They  also 
decoyed  the  natives  on  board  on  pretence  of  traffic,  seized 
them,  and  put  them  in  irons.  Another  dastardly  method 
was  to  make  some  leading  native  drunk,  get  him  to  sell 
some  of  his  own  relations,  whom  he  redeemed,  when  sober, 
at  any  price  insisted  upon  by  the  slave-captains  or  their 
agents.  A  son  sold  his  father,  who  was  a  slave-owner,  and 
he  had  to  give  twenty  slaves  to  redeem  himself.  A  trader, 
returning  from  a  ship  with  the  proceeds  of  four  slaves  he 
had  just  sold  at  a  high  price,  was  seized  by  a  native  chief, 
taken  to  the  vessel  and  sold,  thus  becoming  the  companion 
in  misery  of  those  over  whom  he  had  a  short  time  before 
held  the  power  of  life  and  death.  Traders  were  occasionally 
invited  to  dine  with  the  captain  on  board  ship,  when  they 
were  filled  with  drink,  and  awoke  to  find  themselves  out  at 
sea.  They  were  then  stripped,  branded,  and  thrust  down 
the  hold  to  share  the  fate  of  the  other  slaves,  some  of  them 
possibly  their  own  victims.  The  instances  of  wicked 
artifice  and  base  treachery  employed  in  procuring  slaves, 
mentioned  in  the  evidence,  are  almost  innumerable. 

The  slaves  having  been  procured  by  some,  or  all,  of  the 
foregoing  methods,  we  must  now  find  a  ship  to  transport 
them  to  the  scene  of  their  future  labours,  or — to  death ;  their 
own  choice  being  probably  the  latter.  We  choose  for  our 


HORRORS  OF  THE  MIDDLE  PASSAGE.  585 

purpose  a  typical  vessel,  with  whose  fighting  qualities  we 
are  already  acquainted — the  Brooks,  Captain  Noble. 

From  a  return  presented  to  Parliament  in  1786  by  Captain 
Parrey,  who  was  sent  to  Liverpool  by  the  Government  to 
take  the  dimensions  of  the  ships  employed  in  the  African 
slave  trade  from  that  port,  it  appears  that  the  dimensions  of 
the  "Brooks"  were  as  follow: — The  length  of  the  lower 
deck,  with  the  thickness  of  the  gratings  and  the  bulkheads, 
was  100  ft.  ;  her  breadth  of  beam  on  the  lower  deck  from 
inside  to  inside,  25  ft.  4  in.  ;  the  depth  of  the  hold  from 
ceiling  to  lower  deck,  10  feet  ;  height  between  decks,  5  ft. 
£  in.  ;  length  of  the  men's  room  on  lower  deck,  46  ft.  ; 
breadth  of  the  men's  room  on  lower  deck,  25  ft.  4  in. ;  length 
of  the  platform  in  men's  room  on  the  lower  deck,  46  ft.  ; 
breadth  of  the  same  platform  on  each  side,  6  ft.  ;  length  of 
the  boys'  room,  13  ft.  9  in.  ;  breadth  of  the  boys'  room,  25  ft.  ; 
breadth  of  platform  in  boys'  room,  6  ft.  ;  length  of  the 
women's  room,  28  ft.  6  in.  ;  breadth  of  the  women's  room, 
23  ft  6  in. ;  length  of  platform  in  women's  room,  28  ft.  6  in. ; 
breadth  of  platform  in  women's  room  on  each  side,  6  ft. 
Tiie  number  of  air-ports  going  through  the  side  of  the  deck 
was  14  ;  the  length  of  the  quarter  deck,  33  ft.  6  in.,  by  a 
breadth  of  19  ft.  6  in.  ;  the  length  of  the  cabin  was  14  ft., 
by  19  ft.  in  diameter,  and  6  ft.  2  in.  in  height  ;  length  of 
the  half-deck,  16  ft.  6  in.,  by  6  ft.  2  in.  in  height;  length  of 
the  platforms  on  the  half-deck,  16  ft.  6  in.,  by  6  ft.  in 
breadth.  The  vessel  is  described  as  frigate-built,  without 
forecastle,  and  pierced  for  20  guns.  Nominal  tonnage,  297  ; 
supposed  tonnage  by  measurement,  320;  number  of  seamen, 
45.  It  appears  from  the  accounts  given  to  Captain  Parrey 
by  the  slave-merchants  themselves,  that,  when  leaving  the 
coast  of  Africa,  she  carried,  besides  her  crew,  351  men, 
127  women,  90  boys,  and  41  girls,  a  total  of  609,  though 
only  legally  allowed  to  carry  about  450.  She  lost  by  death, 
on  her  passage,  10  men,  5  women,  3  boys,  and  i  girl.  In 


586  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 

the  year  1782,  she  arrived  at  Jamaica  with  646  slaves,  but 
how  many  she  had  when  she  left  the  coast  on  that  voyage 
is  not  stated. 

Her  provisions  for  the  negroes  were:— 20  tons  of  split 
beans,  peas,  rice,  shelled  barley,  and  Indian  corn  ;  2  tons 
of  bread  ;  12  cwt.  of  flour;  2,070  yams,  averaging  7  Ibs. 
each  ;  34,002  gallons  of  water  ;  330  gallons  of  brandy, 
rum,  &c.  ;  70  gallons  of  wine  ;  60  gallons  of  vinegar  ;  60 
gallons  of  molasses  ;  200  gallons  of  palm  oil  ;  10  barrels  of 
beef;  20  cwt.  of  stock  fish  ;  with  100  Ibs.  of  pepper.  She 
was  49  days  on  the  passage  from  the  Gold  Coast  to  the 
West  Indies,  the  shortest  passage  of  nine  vessels  reported 
being  42  days,  and  the  longest  50  days. 

The  mind  cannot  realise,  language  cannot  paint  the 
sufferings  of  one  day,  nay,  of  one  hour,  passed  under  such 
circumstances,  by  the  tightly-wedged  human  cargo  in  the 
hold  of  the  best  managed  slaver.  Dreadful  must  have  been 
the  agony  under  the  most  favourable  conditions,  with  a 
humane  captain,  like  John  Newton,  an  able  surgeon,  fine 
weather,  and  a  short  passage,  but  what  a  circumscribed  hell 
were  they  tormented  in  when,  after  several  months  spent  on 
the  coast  to  complete  the  cargo,  they  experienced,  during  a 
long  passage  to  the  West  Indies,  lasting  from  six  to  eight 
weeks,  rough  weather,  inhuman  treatment,  and  scanty 
rations  of  bad  quality  !  In  one  instance,  the  slaves  on 
board  a  schooner  which  carried  only  140,  were  kept  below, 
and  the  gratings  covered  with  tarpaulin,  during  a  gale  of 
wind,  which  lasted  eighteen  hours,  when  no  less  than  50 
slaves  perished  in  that  brief  space  of  time.  "  One  real  view, 
one  minute,  absolutely  spent  in  the  slave  rooms  on  the 
middle  passage,"  says  an  ofiicer  employed  in  the  trade, 
"  would  do  more  for  the  cause  of  humanity  than  the  pen  of 
a  Robertson,  or  the  whole  collective  eloquence  of  the 
British  Senate." 

To  indicate  the  sanitary   condition  of  the  ships  on    the 


HORRORS  OF  THE  MIDDLE  PASSAGE.  587 

middle  passage,  it  is  sufficient  to  quote  the  testimony  of  a 

surgeon  employed  in  the  trade  :— 

"  Some  wet  and  blowing-  weather  having-  occasioned  the 
port-holes  to  be  shut  and  the  grating  to  be  covered,  fluxes 
and  fevers  among  the  negroes  ensued.  While  they  were  in 
this  situation,  my  profession  requiring-  it,  I  frequently  went 
down  among  them,  till  at  length  their  apartments  became  so 
extremely  hot  as  to  be  only  sufferable  for  a  very  short  time. 
But  the  excessive  heat  was  not  the  only  thing  that  rendered 
their  situation  intolerable  The  deck,  that  is,  the  floor  of  their 
rooms,  was  so  covered  with  the  blood  and  mucus  which  had 
proceeded  from  them  in  consequence  of  the  flux,  that  it 
resembled  a  slaughter-house.  It  is  not  in  the  power  of  the 
human  imagination  to  picture  to  itself  a  situation  more 
dreadful  or  disgusting.  Numbers  of  the  slaves  had  fainted, 
they  were  carried  upon  deck,  where  several  of  them  died,  and 
the  rest  were,  with  difficulty,  restored.  It  had  nearly  proved 
fatal  to  me  also." 

The  men — except  in  sickness — were  kept  constantly 
chained  two  and  two  ;  the  right  leg  of  one  to  the  left  leg  of 
the  other,  their  hands  being  secured  in  the  same  manner. 
In  this  miserable  state  they  had  to  sit,  walk,  and  lie,  some- 
times for  nine  or  ten  months,  without  any  mitigation  or 
relief  till  they  reached  their  destination.  It  was  impossible 
for  them  to  turn  or  shift  posture  with  any  degree  of  ease,  or 
without  hurting  one  another.  The  effects  of  this  severe 
treatment  were  assigned  as  the  reason  why  the  men  died  on 
the  passage  in  double  the  proportion  of  the  women  and 
children,  who  went  unfettered.  Some  who  went  below  in 
the  evening  in  apparent  good  health  were  found  dead  in  the 
morning.  The  Rev.  John  Newton,  in  his  evidence,  said  he 
had  often  seen  a  dead  and  a  living  man  chained  together. 
Such  as  were  out  of  irons  were  packed  spoon-ways,  one  on 
another,  so  that  each  had  less  room  than  a  man  in  a  coffin  ; 
those  who  did  not  get  into  their  places  quick  enough  being 
stimulated  by  the  cat-o'-nine  tails. 


5S8  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 

In  favourable  weather  the  slaves  were  brought  up  on  the 
main  deck  daily,  about  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and 
as  each  pair  ascended  from  the  horrible  dungeon,  a  strong 
chain,  fastened  bv  ring  bolts  to  the  deck  was  passed  through 
their  shackles,  a  precaution  absolutely  necessary  to  prevent 
insurrections,  but  often  ineffectual,  as  we  have  repeatedly 
had  to  record.  They  were  allowed  to  remain  on  deck  about 
eight  hours,  during  which  time  they  were  fed,  and  their 
apartment  below  was  cleaned — a  terrible  task.  If  the 
weather  was  bad,  however,  they  were  only  permitted  to  come 
up  in  small  parties  of  about  ten  at  a  time,  to  be  fed  ;  after 
remaining  on  deck  a  quarter  of-an-hour,  each  mess  was 
obliged  to  give  place  to  the  next  in  rotation. 

When  feeding  time  was  over,  the  slaves  were  compelled 
to  jump  in  their  chains,  to  their  own  music  and  that  of  the 
cat-o'-nine-tails,  and  this,  by  those  in  the  trade,  was  euphe- 
mistically called  "dancing."  Those  with  swollen  or  diseased 
limbs  were  not  exempted  from  partaking  in  this  joyous 
pastime,  though  the  shackles  often  peeled  the  skin  off  their 
legs.  The  songs  they  sang  on  these  occasions  were  songs 
of  sorrow  and  sadness — simple  ditties  of  their  own  wretched 
estate,  and  of  the  dear  land,  and  home,  and  friends  they 
were  never  more  to  see.  During  the  night  they  were  often 
heard  to  make  a  howling,  melancholy  noise,  caused  by  their 
dreaming  of  their  former  happiness  and  liberty,  only  to  find 
themselves,  on  waking,  in  the  loathsome  hold  of  a  slave-ship. 
The  women,  on  these  occasions,  were  often  found  in  hysteric 
fits. 

From  statistics  kept  by  several  vessels,  it  appears  that  out 
of  7904  slaves  purchased  on  the  Coast,  2053  perished  on  the 
middle  passage.  In  one  document,  the  average  is  put  at  20 
per  cent.,  and  in  the  case  of  the/b/m,  already  referred  to,  the 
rate  of  mortality  was  actually  50  per  cent.  Yet 

"Fresh  myriads,  crowded  o'er  the  waves, 
Heirs  to  their  toils,  their  suffering's,  and  their  graves!" 


HORRORS  OF  THE  MIDDLE  PASSAGE.  589 

The  slave-ships  were  peculiarly  constructed,  with  a  view 
to  prevent  the  negroes  from  ending  their  misery  by  plunging 
into  the  sea;  nevertheless,  the  utmost  vigilance  was  not  able 
to  frustrate  such  manumission,  and  a  score  have  been 
known  to  muster  up  all  their  strength,  burst  from  their 
chains,  and  leap  overboard,  exulting,  with  apparent  joy,  as 
they  sank  in  the  waves,  or  fell  a  prey  to  the  procession  of 
sharks  that  followed  in  the  wake  of  the  Guineamen. 

One  witness  stated  that  his  feelings  were  much  hurt  by 
being  so  often  obliged  to  use  the  cat,  to  force  the  slaves  to 
take  their  food  ;  and  that  in  the  very  act  of  chastisement 
they  have  looked  up  at  him  with  a  smile,  saying  in  their 
own  language,  "  Presently  we  shall  be  no  more."  Some 
of  them  endured  voluntary  starvation,  frequent  floggings, 
the  torture  of  the  thumbscrews — which  made  the  sweat  run 
down  their  faces,  and  their  bodies  to  tremble  all  over  as  in 
an  ague  fit — and  other  cruel  usage,  for  the  space  of  eight  or 
nine  days.  Then  came  death,  the  kind  manumitter,  for 
whom  they  had  longed  with  a  great  longing.  The  very 
children  sometimes  chose  rather  to  die  than  live.  We  have 
a  remarkable  instance  of  a  young  child  that  refused  all 
sustenance.  The  captain,  enraged  at  his  obstinancy,  flogged 
him,  and,  with  horrid  imprecations,  threatened  to  kill  him  if 
he  would  not  eat.  This  discipline  was  repeated  several 
times  without  effect.  The  child's  feet  being  swelled,  were, 
by  the  captain's  order,  put  in  water,  though  the  ship's  cook 
told  him  it  was  too  hot.  This  brought  off  the  skin  and  nails. 
After  about  four  days  of  this  usage,  the  child  died,  just  after 
the  captain  had  done  whipping  him.  The  mother  refusing 
to  cast  her  son  overboard  when  ordered  to  do  so,  was 
severely  beaten,  compelled  to  take  up  the  body  and  go  to 
the  ship's  side,  where,  turning  away  her  face  to  avoid  the 
sight,  she  dropped  the  child  into  the  sea,  and  continued  for 
many  hours  to  cry  bitterly. 

A    certain    Liverpool    captain,    in   a    large   company   at 


590  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 

Buxton,  related  how  a  female  slave  on  her  voyage  fretted 
herself  to  a  very  great  degree  on  account  of  an  infant  child, 
which  she  had  brought  with  her.  "  Apprehensive  for  her 
health,  I  snatched  the  child,"  said  this  monster,  glorying  in 
his  unparalleled  brutality,  "  I  snatched  the  child  from  her 
arms,  knocked  its  head  against  the  side  of  the  ship,  and 
threw  it  into  the  sea." 

When  any  of  the  Guineamen  were  driven  out  of  their 
course  by  stress  of  weather,  and  provisions  ran  short,  the 
slaves  were  sometimes  compelled  to  "  walk  the  plank,"  or, 
in  other  words,  to  jump  overboard.  In  cases  of  shipwreck, 
they  were  either  left  to  perish,  entangled  in  their  irons,  or 
the  seamen  put  them  to  death,  to  prevent  their  escape  and 
to  ensure  their  own  safety.  One  terrible  instance  of  this  is 
given  in  the  evidence.  A  ship  from  Africa,  with  about  400 
slaves  on  board,  struck  in  the  night  upon  some  shoals  about 
eleven  leagues  distant  from  the  south  end  of  Jamaica.  The 
officers  and  seamen  landed  in  their  boats,  carrying  with 
them  fire-arms  and  provisions.  The  slaves  were  left  on 
board,  shackled  together  in  their  chains.  Having  somehow 
got  out  of  their  irons,  they  were  discovered  at  daybreak 
busily  making  rafts  of  broken  parts  of  the  wreck,  upon 
which  they  placed  the  women  and  children,  while  the  men 
and  others  that  could  swim,  accompanied  the  rafts  as  they 
drifted  before  the  wind  towards  the  island,  where  the  crew 
had  landed  the  preceding  night.  The  seamen,  fearing  that 
the  slaves  would  consume  the  water  and  provisions,  which 
they  had  saved  from  the  ship,  came  to  the  horrid  resolution 
of  destroying  them,  and  accordingly  fired  upon  them  with 
such  good  effect,  as  they  were  attempting  to  make  the  land, 
that  between  three  and  four  hundred  were  massacred  ;  so 
that  out  of  the  whole  cargo  only  thirty-three  or  thirty-four 
were  spared,  carried  to  Kingston,  Jamaica,  and  exposed  to 
public  sale. 

Many  other  instances,  substantiated  by  affidavit,  could  be 


HORRORS  OF  THE  MIDDLE  PASSAGE.  591 

given  of  the  most  shocking-  cruelties  and  murders  perpe- 
trated on  both  the  negroes  and  the  seamen  by  captains, 
whom  the  slave  trade  had  converted  into  fiends  incarnate. 

On  the  arrival  of  the  ships  at  their  destined  ports,  the 
slaves  were  prepared  for  sale,  much  pains  being  taken 
to  clean  and  anoint  their  bodies,  that  they  might  appear  to 
the  best  advantage.  There  were  three  methods  of  sale,  all 
more  or  less  attended  with  circumstances  harrowing  to  the 
feelings  and  degrading  to  humanity.  The  first  was  by 
private  treaty  between  the  merchants'  factor  and  the 
planters,  the  latter  selecting  their  "  goods  "  at  the  factory  ; 
the  second,  and  the  most  curious  method,  was  by 
scramble,  which  was  described  by  Mr.  Falconbridge  of  the 
Emila.  The  ship,  on  its  arrival  at  Jamaica,  was  darkened 
with  sails  and  covered  round.  The  men  slaves  were 
placed  on  the  main  deck,  and  the  women  on  the  quarter- 
deck, while  an  eager  crowd  of  buyers,  who  had  been 
supplied  with  tallies  or  cards,  waited  on  shore  for  the  sale 
to  begin.  When  all  was  ready,  a  signal  gun  was  fired, 
and  the  gangways  thrown  open,  when  the  buyers  rushed 
through  the  barricade  door  with  the  ferocity  of  brutes, 
seized  as  many  slaves  as  they  thought  fit  for  their  purpose, 
encircling  them  with  handkerchiefs  tied  together.  At 
Grenada,  where  a  scramble  sale  took  place,  the  women 
were  so  terrified  that  several  of  them  got  out  of  the  yard, 
and  ran  about  St.  George's  town  as  if  they  were  mad.  At 
Kingston,  Jamaica,  during  a  sale  on  board  the  Tryal, 
Captain  Macdonald,  forty  or  fifty  slaves  leaped  into  the  sea, 
but  were  recovered.  From  the  evidence  of  several  witnesses, 
this  appears  to  have  been  a  very  common  method  of  sale  in 
America  and  the  West  Indies.  The  slaves  on  these 
occasions  were  all  at  one  price. 

The  slaves  sold  by  the  third  method — public  auction  or 
vendue — were  generally  the  refuse  and  sickly,  some  of  whom 
died  before  the  fall  of  the  auctioneer's  hammer.  The  prices 


592  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 

sometimes  fell  so  low  as  a  single  dollar  per  head.  In  one 
case,  the  ship  Lottery,  Captain  Whittle,  belonging  to  Mr. 
Thomas  Leyland,  of  Liverpool,  we  find  a  blind  negro  given 
away !  An  officer  of  high  rank  testified  that  he  once  saw  a 
number  of  slaves,  who  had  been  landed  from  a  ship,  brought 
into  the  yard  adjoining  the  place  of  sale.  Such  as  were  not 
very  ill  were  put  into  little  huts,  while  the  most  sickly  were 
left  in  the  yard  to  die,  for  nobody  gave  them  food  or  drink, 
and  some  of  them  lived  three  days  in  that  situation.  Slaves 
were  often  carried  from  the  ship  to  the  vendue-master  in 
the  agonies  of  death,  and  expired  in  his  piazza.  At  these 
auctions  the  slaves  were  exposed  to  public  view,  naked  as 
they  came  into  the  world,  regardless  of  age  or  sex,  and  the 
slave-merchants  and  planters  viewed  and  handled  them  as  a 
butcher  handles  the  cattle  he  is  about  to  purchase  for 
slaughter. 

A  terrible  mutiny  of  slaves  on  the  middle  passage  occurred 
in  the  year  1797.  The  ship  Thomas,  of  Liverpool,  belonging 
to  Mr.  Thomas  Clarke,  and  commanded  by  a  very  brave, 
respectable,  and  intelligent  man,  Captain  Peter  M'Ouie* 
took  on  board  375  picked  slaves  at  Loango,  and  sailed  for 
Barbadoes.  On  the  morning  of  the  2nd  of  September,  1797, 
while  the  crew  were  at  breakfast,  two  or  three  of  the  women- 
slaves  discovered  that  the  armourer  had  incautiously  left  the 
armour-chest  open.  They  got  into  the  after-hatchway,  and 
passed  the  arms  through  the  bulkheads  to  the  men-slaves, 
about  two  hundred  of  whom  immediately  ran  up  the  fore- 
scuttles,  and  put  to  death  all  of  the  crew  that  came  in  their 
way.  The  captain  and  a  few  of  his  men  fought  desperately 
with  the  arms  remaining  in  the  cabin  ;  but  they  were 
eventually  overpowered,  the  slaves  gaining  complete 
possession  of  the  ship.  Captain  M'Ouie  and  many  of  his 

*  A  native  of  Minnigaff,  in  the  County  of  Galloway,  Scotland,  and  father  of  the 
late  Mr.  Peter  Robinson  M'Quie,  merchant,  of  Liverpool,  who  communicated  the 
details  of  the  tragedy  to  Mr.  Brooke,  author  of  "  Liverpool  in  the  Last  Quarter  of 
the  Nineteenth  Century." 


HORRORS  OF  THE  MIDDLE  PASSAGE.  593 

crew  perished,  being  either  killed  in  the  conflict,  butchered 
afterwards,  or  driven  overboard.  Twelve  of  the  hands, 
however,  escaped  in  the  stern-boat,  and  after  enduring  the 
most  dreadful  hardships,  two  only  survived  to  land  in 
Barbadoes.  A  few  were  kept  alive  to  steer  the  vessel  back 
to  Africa.  Four  of  these  escaped  in  the  long-boat,  and  after 
being  six  days  and  nights  without  food  or  water,  reached 
Watling's  Island,  one  of  the  Bahamas,  in  a  wretched 
condition.  Five  of  the  crew  still  remained  on  board  the 
Thomas,  the  negroes  not  being  able  to  steer  the  vessel 
without  their  assistance.  After  forty-two  days  of  misery  and 
dread,  an  American  brig,  laden  with  rum,  came  alongside, 
of  which  the  negroes  made  themselves  masters,  her  crew 
escaping  in  their  boats.  Rum  casks  were  opened,  and  a 
scene  of  drunkenness  and  confusion  ensued,  during  which 
several  of  the  blacks  were  drowned.  The  remaining  crew 
of  the  Thomas  took  immediate  advantage  of  this  occurrence 
and  recaptured  the  brig — the  boatswain,  with  the  captain's 
cutlass,  having  first  killed  the  ringleader  of  the  negroes, — 
set  sail  for  the  nearest  land,  and  reached  Long  Island, 
Providence.  The  Thomas,  with  the  surviving  negroes,  was 
afterwards  recaptured  by  H.M.  frigate  Thames,  carried  into 
Cape  Nicola  Mole,  and  sold  there. 


2P 


594 


CHAPTER   VI. 

EMOLUMENTS  OF  THE  TRAFFIC — A  MILLIONAIRE'S 
VENTURES. 

"I  own  I  am  shocked  at  the  purchase  of  slaves, 

And  fear  those  who  buy  them  and  sell  them,  are  knaves ; 

What  I  hear  of  their  hardships,  their  tortures,  and  groans, 

Is  almost  enough  to  draw  pity  from  stones. 

I  pity  them  greatly,  but  I  must  be  mum, 

For  how  could  we  do  without  sugar  and  rum?" — Cowper. 

A  DRUNKEN  actor,*  on  the  stage  of  the  Theatre  Royal, 
Williamson-square,  on  being  hissed  by  the  audience  for 
presenting  himself  before  them — not  for  the  first  time — in 
that  condition,  is  said  to  have  steadied  himself,  and  vocifer- 
ated, with  offended  majesty,  "I  have  not  come  here  to  be 
insulted  by  a  set  of  wretches,  every  brick  in  whose  infernal 
town  is  cemented  with  an  African's  blood."  This  was  a 
home-thrust  which  might  have  made  the  daring  offender  the 
hero  of  an  unrehearsed  tragedy.  The  taunt,  however, 
would  have  been  almost  as  applicable  hurled  at  London, 
Bristol,  or  certain  southern  port  audiences,  whose  bricks 
were  more  or  less  cemented  in  the  same  sanguinary  fashion 
for  fully  one  hundred  years  before  the  people  of  Liverpool 
ever  soiled  their  hands  and  souls  in  the  African  slave  trade. 
The  brilliant  success  which  crowned  the  shrewd  enterprise 
of  Liverpool  merchants  in  this,  as  in  all  other  branches  of 

*  George  Frederick  Cooke,  tragedian,  1756-1812  ;  the  predecessor  of  Kean  in 
his  peculiar  line  of  characters. 


A    MILLIONAIRE'S    VENTURES.  595 

commerce,  has  made  them  the  focus  of  scorching  censure, 
while  the  older  offenders,  left  far  behind  in  the  race  for  pelf, 
are  comparatively  forgotten,  and  their  exceeding  weight  of 
guilt  overlooked.     In  a  word,  Liverpool,  while  sowing  wild 
oats  in  its  commercial  youth,  or  leading  a  sort  of  double 
life— wedded  to  freedom   at   home,    and   courting   slavery 
abroad, — took  a  hand  in  this  dark  game,  swept  the  board, 
and,  rather  unjustly,  has  had  to  bear  the  concentrated  odium 
attached  to  the  whole  of  the  play.     Roscoe,  all  his  life  the 
firm,  but  statesman-like  opponent  of  the  man-traffic,  speaking 
at  a  public  dinner  held  at  the./'Golden  Lion,"  to  celebrate 
his  election  as  one  of  the  representatives  in  Parliament  of 
his  native  town,  thus  referred  to  the  national  character  of  the 
iniquity:— 

"It  has  been  the  fashion  throughout  the  Kingdom  to 
regard  the  town  of  Liverpool  and  its  inhabitants  in  an  unfavour- 
able light  on  account  of  the  share  it  has  in  this  trade.  But  I 
will  venture  to  say  that  this  idea  is  founded  on  ignorance,  and 
I  will  here  assert,  as  I  always  shall,  that  men  more  independent, 
of  greater  public  virtue  and  private  worth,  than  the  merchants 
of  Liverpool  do  not  exist  in  any  part  of  these  kingdoms.  The 
African  trade  is  the  trade  of  the  nation,  not  of  any  particular 
place  ;  it  is  a  trade,  till  lately,  sanctioned  by  Parliament  and 
long  continued  under  the  authority  of  the  Government.  I 
do  not  make  this  remark  in  vindication  of  the  character  of  any 
gentlemen  engaged  in  the  trade,  who  stand  in  need  of  none, 
but  in  order  to  shew  that  if  any  loss  should  arise  to  any 
individuals  who  are  concerned  in  it,  it  is  incumbent  upon 
Government  to  make  them  a  full  compensation  for  the  losses 
they  may  so  sustain." 

However  we  may  detest  the  trade,  and  shudder  at  the 
horrors  which  necessarily  accompanied  it,  even  when  most 
rigorously  supervised,  and  conducted  by  the  most  humane 
instruments  ;  though  we  know  that  no  casuistry  can  convert 
wrong  into  right,  yet  must  we  remember  that  custom  has  a 


596  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 

wonderful  effect  in  blinding  the  moral  perceptions  ;  that 
men's  standard  of  morality  is  being  raised,  as  the  leaven  of 
Christianity  spreads  with  power,  and  that  ages,  like  indi- 
viduals, are  prone  to 

"  Compound  for  sins  they  are  inclined  to, 
By  damning-  those  they  have  no  mind  to." 

Let  us  now  endeavour  to  arrive  at  the  approximate  amount 
of  the  emoluments  of  the  traffic ;  certainty  as  to  the  aggregate 
profits  is  impossible,  but  we  are  in  a  position  to  compare 
estimates,  made  while  the  trade  was  in  full  swing,  with  the 
real  profits  made  by  certain  ships,  whose  accounts  are  forth- 
coming. It  appears  from  one  calculation*  that,  during  the 
eleven  years  from  1783  to  1793,  878  slave-ships  belonging 
to  Liverpool,  imported  to  the  West  Indies,  etc.,  303,737 
slaves,  whose  estimated  sterling  value  amounted  to  the 
enormous  total  of  ;£  15, 186,850. 

In  order  to  arrive  at  the  net  amount  returned  to  the  port 
of  Liverpool  out  of  this  sum,  we  must  deduct  factors'  com- 
mission of  5  per  cent,  on  the  sales,  in  addition  to  10  per 
cent,  for  contingencies,  making  a  deduction  of  15  per  cent., 
or  ^2,278,027  from  the  gross  sales  of  ^"15,186,850,  leaving 
the  net  proceeds  ,£12,908,823.  But  this  sum  is  subject  to 
a  further  deduction  of  .£614,707,  being  the  factors'  com- 
mission of  5  percent,  on  the  actual  amounts  remitted  by 
them  to  the  merchants  of  Liverpool.  It  appears,  therefore, 
that  the  net  proceeds  remitted  to  Liverpool,  for  the  eleven 
years'  slave-trading,  from  1783  to  1793,  amounted  to 
,£12,294,  n6f  sterling,  or  on  an  average  ,£1,117,647  per 
annum  ;  expressed  perhaps  more  clearly  in  the  following 
manner : — 


*See  Table  in  the  Appendix. 

fBaines,  evidently  quoting  from  the  same  source,  gives  the  gross  amount  brought 
into  the  port  as  "^12,908,823  in  eleven  years,  or  ,£1,117,647  a  year,"  which  on 
the  face  of  it,  is  an  error,  the  cause  of  which  is  the  omission  of  the  factors'  com- 
mission of  ,£614,707,  which  of  course,  never  reached  Liverpool. 


A   MILLIONAIRE'S    VENTURES.  597 

Gross    amount  of  Sales  of  303,737  slaves, 

averaged  at  £50  per  head        £15,186,850 

Deduct  Factors'  Commission 

5%  on  ditto  ...         £759>342 

Deduct  for  Contingencies  10%          1,518,685  2,278,027 

£12,908,823 
Deduct    Factors'    Commission    5%  on   real 

amount  remitted 614,707 


Net  proceeds  remitted  to  Liverpool  ...     £12,294,116 

Average    net    proceeds    remitted    during    eleven    years 

£1,117,647  a  year 

Taking  the  number  of  slaves  imported  in  the  year  1786 
as  his  basis,  and  allowing  twelve  months  for  the  length  of 
the  voyage,  instead  of  the  average  nine  months,  the  same 
writer  arrives  at  the  appended  statement  of  probable  net 
gains  on  a  Guinea  cargo  : — 

The    net     proceeds    on     31,690 

negroes          £1,282,690 

Gross  value  of  goods  exported  to 

Africa £864,895 

Freight  of  31,690  slaves  ...          103,488 

Maintenance  of  31,690  slaves  at 

i o/- each       i5>845  984,228 

Profit  on  the  whole         £298,462 


Having  shown  by  the  above  statement  that  the  profits 
were  upwards  of  30  per  cent.,  our  author  proceeds  to 
analyse  the  aggregate  sums  and  discovers — 

The  net  proceeds  of  one  slave  to  be  £4°     9     6^ 

The  prime  cost  of  one  slave 

on  the  Coast     £27     5   10 

The  freight  of  one  slave     ...  3     5     3^ 

The     maintenance     of    one 

slave  ..  o  10     o  31      i     i^A 


Profit  on  the  sale  of  one  slave  £9     8     5 


598  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 

It  appears  then,  from  the  preceding  calculations,  that  there 
was  a  profit  of  upwards  of  30  per  cent,  on  the  sale  of  each 
slave;  that  in  the  year  1786,  the  town  of  Liverpool  pocketed 
,£298,462  sterling  from  the  importation  of  31,690  negroes; 
and  that  during  the  eleven  years,  from  1783  to  1793,  both 
inclusive,  the  gains  on  303,737  slaves  sold  amounted  to 
£"2,861,455  135.  id.  or  on  an  average  £"260,132  6s.  8d.  per 
annum.* 

"This  great  annual  return  of  wealth,"  says  our  author,  f 
"may  be  said  to  pervade  the  whole  town,  increasing  the 
fortunes  of  the  principal  adventurers,  and  contributing  to  the 
support  of  the  majority  of  the  inhabitants.  Almost  every 
man  in  Liverpool  is  a  merchant,  and  he  who  cannot  send  a 
bale,  will  send  a  bandbox,  it  will  therefore  create  little 
astonishment,  that  the  attractive  African  meteor  has,  from 
»  time  to  time,  so  dazzled  their  ideas,  that  almost  every  order 
of  people  is  interested  in  a  Guinea  cargo."  The  small 
adventurers,  however,  whose  ships  were  despatched 
irregularly,  could  not,  under  the  most  favourable  circum- 
stances, derive  a  large  income  from  the  trade,  although  the 
returns  might  sometimes  arrive  in  time  "to  prop  a  tottering 
credit."  In  the  case  of  a  ship  importing  100  slaves,  which 
by  the  preceding  estimate  would  yield  a  profit  of  £942  is.  8d., 
we  find,  on  subdividing  the  amount  amongst  the  share- 
holders, that  an  eighth  is  £117  155.  2^d.,  a  sixteenth, 
£58  173.  7d.,  and  a  thirty-second,  £29  8s.  lod.  Spasmodic 
adventurers,  then,  were  not  greatly  enriched  in  one  voyage, 
but  it  was  far  otherwise  with  firms  limited  to  three  or  four 
persons,  who  traded  regularly  in  human  misery.  For 


*  The  writer  we  are  following  gives  the  two  latter  amounts  as  £2,361,455  6s.  id. 
and  £214,677  155.  id.,  but  if  we  multiply  303,737  (the  number  of  slaves  sold)  by 
£9  8s.  5d.  (the  profit  on  the  sale  of  each  slave)  we  find  the  aggregate  profit  of 
£2,861,455  13S-  Jd.,  or  an  average  of  £260,132  6s.  8d.  yearly,  for  the  eleven  years. 
Troughton,  accepting  his  predecessor's  figures  (£214,677  155.  id.)  as  "a  late  cal- 
culation made  with  great  accuracy,"  calls  it  "an  influx  of  wealth  which,  perhaps, 
no  consideration  would  induce  a  commercial  community  to  relinquish." 

t  "  A  General  and  Descriptive  History  of  Liverpool,"  (1795,)  P-  23°- 


A    MILLIONAIRE'S    VENTURES.  599 

instance,  we  find  one  firm  importing  2850  in  five  ships, 
which,  calculated  on  the  previous  scale,  produced  a  net 
profit  of  ,£26,849  73.  6d.,  or  if  divided  between  four  share- 
holders, the  sum  of  ,£671263.  io^d.  for  each  adventurer. 
The  great  wealth  accruing  from  the  traffic,  however,  went 
into  the  coffers  of  ten  leading  houses,  who  maintained  a 
regular  routine  of  slavers.  From  a  summary*  of  eleven 
carefully  prepared  tables,  covering  the  eleven  years  in 
question,  we  find  that  although  359  firms  sent  out  no  less 
than  878  Guineamen,  yet  ten  houses  despatched  502  out  of 
that  number,  which  was  not  only  more  than  one-half  the 
shipping  employed,  but  proves  that  the  502  vessels  were  of 
greater  aggregate  burthen,  for  the  number  of  slaves  imported 
by  the  ten  firms  was  nearly  four-sixths  of  the  whole  number 
imported  in  Liverpool  Guineamen  during  the  eleven  years 
under  notice.  Although  a  Guinea  voyage  might  exceed 
twelve  months,  the  instances  were  comparatively  few,  and 
the  ten  leading  houses  aforesaid  must  be  allowed  to  have 
had  yearly  regular  returns,  or  uniform  successive  annual 
adventures,  producing  successive  annual  remittances  of  a 
highly  satisfactory  and  soothing  character  to  the  share- 
holders. From  a  report  presented  to  the  Privy  Council, 
while  the  Slave  Bill  was  depending,  it  appears  that  the 
number  of  negroes  transported  yearly  from  Africa  to  the 
West  Indies,  from  1783  to  1793,  amounted  to  74,000.  Of 
this  number,  Great  Britain  imported  38,000,  Holland  4000, 
Portugal  10,000,  Denmark  2000,  and  France  20,000.  Of 
the  immense  multitude  of  814,000  negroes  conveyed  from 
Africa  to  the  West  Indies  in  eleven  years,  Liverpool  had 
the  profit  and  the  disgrace  of  conveying  303, 737. f 

We  now  leave  estimates  and  pass  on  to  incontestable 
facts,  commencing  with  the  ship  Lottery,  Captain  John 
Whittle,  belonging  to  Mr.  Thomas  Leyland,  banker  and 

*See  Appendix, 
t  Baines  puts  the  number  at  407,000,  but  our  tables  show  this  to  be  wrong. 


600  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 

-  millionaire,  thrice  mayor  of  Liverpool.  She  sailed  from  the 
Mersey  on  the  6th  of  July,  1798,  arrived  at  Bonny  on  the 
22nd  August,  passed  Barbadoes  on  the  ayth  of  November, 
after  a  passage  of  50  days,  with  460  negroes.  The  following 
details,  showing  the  result  of  the  voyage,  as  far  as  Mr. 
Ley  land's  pocket  was  concerned,  are  taken  from  the  original 
account  books  : — 

Net  proceeds    of   453   Negroes  sold  by 

Bogle  &  Jopp,  as  remitted  by  bills 

of    various     dates     after     payment 

of  all  charges  ...         ...         ...          ...     ^22,726     i     o 

Deduct : — 

Cost  of  ship's  outfit  ...^"2307   10     o 

Cost  of  the  cargo  sent  out 

to  Africa  ...          ...     8326  14  u   .       10,634     4  ri 


Profit  on  the  voyage  ^12,091    16     i 

But  this  was  not  all  ;  there  would  be,  probably,  some  of 
the  Guinea  cargo  and  stores  left  over  for  future  use. 

The  Lottery,  Captain  Charles  Kneal,  also  belonging  to 
Messrs.  Thos.  Leyland  &  Co.,  sailed  from  Liverpool  on  the 
2ist  of  May,  1802,  on  her  sixth  voyage,  and  carried  from 
Africa  to  Jamaica  305  negroes.     The  amount  of  the  outfit 
and  cargo  was  ^7982  25.  6^d.     When  a  final  balance  was 
struck  on  October  3ist,  1811,  the  profits  stood  thus  : — 
Thomas  Leyland  ^  balce-...          ...          ...     ^9510  16     o 

R.  Bullin                %    „      ...  4755     8     o% 

Thos.  Molyneux   %    ,,      4755     8     o^ 


^"19,021    12 


In  the  next  case,  we  subjoin  a  copy  of  the  instructions 
penned  by  Messrs.  Leyland  &  Co.,  for  the  guidance  of  the 
captain.  These  are  taken  from  the  original  account  book, 

*  There  were  a  few  hundreds  more  made  on  returned  goods,  and  on  rum,  sugar,  &c. 


A   MILLIONAIRE'S    VENTURES.  601 

which    begins    with    the    following    memoranda    of     the 
voyage  : — 

"Ship  Enterprise,  Ist-  Voyage. 

"Sailed  from  Liverpool,  20  July  1803 

"  August  26th  detained  the  Spanish  Brig  St.  Augustin,  Capt. 
Josef  Ant°-  de  Ytuno,  in  Lat.  22,  47  North,  Long.  26,  14  West; 
bound  from  Malaga  to  Vera  Cruz,  which  vessel  arrived  at 
Hoylake  on  the  25"*  October. 

"September  ioth  Recaptured  the  John  of  Liverpool  in  Lat. 
4,  20  North,  Long,  n,  10  West  with  261  Slaves  on  board,  and 
on  the  2nd  November  she  arrived  at  Dominica. 

"September  23rd  the  Enterprise  arrived  at  Bonny,  and  sailed 
from  thence  on  the 

"December  6th  the  St.  Augustin  sailed  from  Liverpool. 

"9"' January  1804  the  Enterprise  arrived  at  the  Havanna 
and  sold  there  392  Negroes.  On  the  28  March  she  sailed  from 
the  Havannah  and  arrived  at  Liverpool  26  April  1804." 


"LIVERPOOL,  iSJuly  1803 
"CAP.  CESAR  LAWSON, 

"  SIR, — Our  ship  Enterprise,  to  the  command  of  which  you 
are  appointed,  being  now  ready  for  sea,  you  are  immediately  to 
proceed  in  her,  and  make  the  best  of  your  way  to  Bonny  on  the 
Coast  of  Africa.  You  will  receive  herewith  an  invoice  of  the 
Cargo  on  board  her  which  you  are  to  barter  at  Bonny  for  prime 
Negroes,  Ivory,  and  Palm  Oil.  By  Law  this  vessel  is  allowed 
to  carry  400  Negroes,  and  we  request  that  they  may  all  be 
males  if  possible  to  get  them,  at  any  rate  buy  as  few  females  as 
in  your  power,  because  we  look  to  a  Spanish  market  for  the 
disposal  of  your  cargo,  where  Females  are  a  very  tedious  sale. 
In  the  choice  of  the  Negroes  be  very  particular,  select  those  that 
are  well  formed  and  strong;  and  do  not  buy  any  above  24  years 
of  Age,  as  it  may  happen  that  you  will  have  to  go  to  Jamaica, 
where  you  know  any  exceeding  that  age  would  be  liable  to  a 
Duty  of  ;£io  ^  head.  While  the  slaves  are  on  board  the  Ship 
allow  them  every  indulgence  Consistent  with  your  own  Safety, 


G02  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 

and  do  not  suffer  any  of  your  officers  or  Crew  to  abuse  or  insult 
them  in  any  respect.  Perhaps  you  may  be  able  to  procure  some 
Palm  Oil  on  reasonable  terms,  which  is  likely  to  bear  a  great 
price  here,  we  therefore  wish  you  to  purchase  as  much  as  you  can 
with  any  spare  cargo  you  may  have.  We  have  taken  out 
Letters  of  Marque  against  the  French  and  Batavian  Republic, 
and  if  you  are  so  fortunate  as  to  fall  in  with  and  capture  any  of 
their  vessels  Send  the  Same  direct  to  this  Port,  under  the  care 
of  an  active  Prize  Master,  and  a  sufficient  number  of  men  out 
of  your  ship ;  and  also  put  a  Copy  of  the  Commission  on  board 
her,  but  do  not  molest  any  neutral  ship,  as  it  woud  involve  us 
in  expensive  Lawsuit  and  subject  us  to  heavy  Damages.  A 
considerable  part  of  our  property  under  your  care  will  not  be 
insured,  and  we  earnestly  desire  you  will  keep  a  particular  look 
out  to  avoid  the  Enemy's  Cruisers,  which  are  numerous  and  you 
may  hourly  expect  to  be  attacked  by  some  of  them.  We  request 
you  will  Keep  strict  and  regular  discipline  on  board  the  ship ;  do 
not  suffer  Drunkenness  among  any  of  your  Officers  or  Crew, 
for  it  is  sure  to  be  attended  with  some  misfortune,  such  as  In- 
surrection, Mutiny  and  Fire.  Allow  to  the  ship's  Company  their 
regular  portion  of  Provisions  &c  and  take  every  care  of  such  as 
may  get  sick.  You  must  keep  the  ship  very  clean  and  see  that 
no  part  of  her  Stores  and  Materials  are  embezzled,  neglected, 
or  idly  wasted.  As  soon  as  you  have  finished  your  trade  and 
laid  in  a  sufficient  quantity  of  Yams,  wood,  water,  and  every 
other  necessary  for  the  Middle  Passage,  proceed  with  a  press 
of  sail  for  Barbadoes,  and  on  your  arrival  there  call  on  Messrs' 
Barton  Higginson  &  C°-  with  whom  you  will  find  Letters  from 
us  by  which  you  are  to  be  govern'd  in  prosecuting  the  remainder 
of  the  voyage.  Do  not  fail  to  write  to  us  by  every  opportunity 
and  always  inclose  a  copy  of  your  preceding  Letter. 

"You  are  to  receive  from  the  House  in  the  West  Indies, 
who  may  sell  your  cargo,  your  Coast  Commission  of  £2  in 
£102  on  the  Gross  Sales,  and  when  this  Sum  with  your  Chief 
Mate's  Privilege  and  your  Surgeon's  Privilege,  Gratuity  and 
head  money  are  deducted,  you  are  then  to  draw  your  Com- 
mission of  ^"4  in  ^104  on  the  remaining  amount.  Your  Chief 


A   MILLIONAIRE'S    VENTURES.  603 

Mate,  Mr.  James  Cowill,  is  to  receive  two  Slaves  on  an  average 
with  the  Cargo,  less  the  Island  and  any  other  duty  that  may  be 
due  or  payable  thereon  at  the  place  where  you  may  sell  your 
Cargo;  and  your  Surgeon,  Mr.  Gilb1'  Sinclair,  is  to  receive  two 
Slaves  on  an  average  with  the  Cargo  less  the  Duty  before- 
mentioned,  and  one  Shilling  StK  head  money  on  each  slave  sold. 
And  in  consideration  of  the  aforementioned  Emoluments,  neither 
you  nor  your  Crew,  nor  any  of  them,  are  directly  or  indirectly 
to  carry  on  any  private  Trade  on  your  or  their  accounts  under 
a  forfeiture  to  us  of  the  whole  of  your  Commissions  arising  on 
this  voyage.  In  case  of  your  Death,  your  Chief  Mate,  Mr. 
Cowill,  is  to  succeed  to  the  Command  of  the  ship,  and  diligently 
follow  these  and  all  our  further  orders.  Any  Prize  that  you  may 
capture,  direct  the  Prize  Master  to  hoist  a  white  flag  at  the  fore 
and  one  at  the  main  top  Gallant  Mast-heads,  on  his  approach  to 
this  Port,  which  will  be  answered  by  a  signal  at  the  light  House. 
"We  hope  you  will  have  a  happy  and  prosperous  voyage, 
and  remain 

"Sir,  Your  ob  Servs 

"P.S. — Shoud  you  capture  any  vessel  from  the  Eastward  of 
Cape  of  Good  Hope,  Send  her  to  Falmouth  and  there  wait  for 
our  orders.  In  case  of  your  Capturing  a  Guineaman  with  Slaves 
on  board,  Send  her  to  the  address  of  Messrs-  Bogle,  Jopp  &  C0- 
of  Kingston,  Jamaica." 


"I  acknowledge  to  have  received  from  Messrs-  Thomas 
Leyland  &  C°~  the  Orders  of  which  the  aforegoing  is  a  true 
Copy,  and  I  engage  to  execute  them  as  well  as  all  their  further 
orders,  the  Dangers  of  the  Seas  only  excepted,  as  witness  my 

hand  this  18  July  1803 

"C^SAR  LAWSON." 

The  outfit  of  the  Enterprise  cost ,£8148  i8s.  8d. ;  her  cargo 
of  trading  goods,  ^8896  35.  g^d.  ;  total,  ,£17,045  25.  5^jd. 
In  January,  1804,  Captain  Lawson  delivered  to  Messrs. 
Joaquin  Perez  de  Urria,  at  Havanna,  412  Eboe  slaves  (viz., 
194  men,  32  men-boys,  66  boys,  42  women,  36  women-girls, 


604  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 

and  42  girls)  to  be  sold  on  account  of  Messrs.  T.  Leyland 
&  Co.  Nineteen  of  the  slaves  died,  and  one  girl,  being 
subject  to  fits,  could  not  be  disposed  of.  The  net  profit  on 
the  round  voyage,  after  selling  the  392  remaining  slaves, 
paying  damages  for  detaining  the  St.  Augustine,  and 
crediting  salvage  of  the  John,  profit  on  teeth,  logwood, 
sugar,  etc.,  amounted  to  ,£24,430  8s.  i  id.,  which  was  divided 
between  the  partners  as  follows  :— 

Thomas  Leyland  for  his  half  of  balance     ^12,215     4     5^2 
Thomas  Molyneux  for  his  ^  of     Do  6,107   12     2-^ 

R'1  Bullin  for  his  ^  of     Do  6,107   I2     3 

^24,430     8  ii 


Our  next  example  is  the  first  voyage  of  the  slave-ship 
Fortune,  Captain  Charles  Watt,  which  sailed  from  Liver- 
pool on  the  25th  of  April,  1805,  arrived  at  Congo  River 
i6th  July,  sailed  thence  icth  November,  arrived  at  Nassau 
2ist  of  December,  1805,  sailed  thence  2gth  of  March,  1806, 
and  arrived  at  Liverpool  on  the  2nd  of  May,  1806.  The 
result  of  the  round  voyage  was  as  follows  :  — 

Remittances  &c  on  account  of  343  slaves 

sold  by  Hy.  and  Jas.  Wood,  Nassau, 

New   Providence,  after   payment    of 

all  expenses,  ...          ...          ...          ...     ^13,271     o     i 

This  was  apportioned  as  under  :  — 
Thomas    Leyland  for   his 

2^ds-  balance  ......     ^8847     6     9 

Wm.    Brown    for  his  ^3rd' 

balance          ...         ...         4423  13     4 


The  cost  of  the  outfit  in  this  case  was  ^4124   18     9 

,,          „          „      cargo     ,,  ,,       ,,  7267   18     7 

^11,392   17     4 


A   MILLIONAIRE'S    VENTURES.  605 

The  'profit  appears  from  the  foregoing  statement  to  be 
very  trifling,  ,£1878  25.  gd.,  but  we  must  add  to  it  the  sum 
of  .£7609  75.  6d.  for  slaves  sold  on  credit,  making 
^9487  zos.  3d.  Nevertheless,  the  expenses  seem  to  have 
been  remarkably  heavy. 

The  slaves  sold  very  slowly,  there  being  100  left  on  the 
factors'  hands  on  July  3ist,  1806,  and  the  last  batch  of  these 
was  sold  in  September.  The  result  was  a  big  bill  for  rent 
of  store,  doctor's  attendance,  provisions,  brandy,  wine, 
tobacco,  heads  and  offals,  oil,  etc.,  for  the  slaves.  The 
muster-roll  shows  that  Captain  Watt,  the  third  mate, 
and  six  seamen  died  on  the  voyage ;  two  sailors  were 
drowned,  the  fifth  or  trading  mate,  and  one  of  the  men 
ran  away,  while  34  seamen  entered  or  were  impressed 
on  board  his  majesty's  ships  on  the  station.  This  refers 
to  the  original  crew  of  66  officers  and  men  shipped  at 
Liverpool. 

The  slave-ship  Louisa,  on  her  fourth  voyage,  having  sold 
326  negroes  at  Jamaica  for  the  sum  of  ,£19,315  135.  6d., 
the  profit  (after  adding  interest  on  account  sales,  ^1051 
195.  7d.,  and  deducting  ,£1234  25.  8d.  for  disbursements 
and  commission,  etc.,  due  to  factors)  amounted  to  ,£19,133 
tos  5d.,  which  was  apportioned  among  the  owners  as 
follows  : — Thomas  Leyland,  £9566  155.  2^  ;  R.  Bullin, 
,£4783  75.  7%^d.  ;  Thomas  Molyneux,  ,£4783  75.  7^d. 

In  1784,  the  Bloom,  Robert  Bostock,  master,  carried  307 
slaves  from  the  Windward  Coast  of  Africa  to  the  West 
Indies,  on  account  of  Messrs.  Thomas  Foxcroft  &  Co., 
merchants,  Liverpool,  who  also  owned  the  Bud  and  the 
Pine.  The  shares  were  held  as  follows: — Thomas  Foxcroft, 
5/1(iths;  Wm.  Rice,  2/ioths  5  A-  Wharton,  2/i6ths  J  Felix 
Doran,  2/i«tns  >  Jas-  Welsh,  2/16ths  '•>  Robert  Bostock,  2/i6tns  J 
and  Geo.  Welch,  Vioth- 

The  result  of  the  voyage,  as  disclosed  by  the  original 
account  books,  may  be  summarised  thus  : — 


€06  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLAVE  TRADE. 

Sale  of  307  slaves  (103  men,  51  women,  99 
boys,  54  girls),  the  lowest  price  being" £21  fora 
woman  and  ^40  each  for  man,  a  boy  and  2  girls,  ^9858  2  10 

Charges  : — 
To    6    slaves    at   the    average 

^32    2S.     2^/2  d.    freight    for 

Captain  Bostock       ...          ...       ^192    13     3 

To  i  slave  for  James  Oddie  the 

second  mate,  sold  by  desire 

of  Captain  B.  ...          ...  30     o     o 

To  Captain  Bostock's  privilege 

011^963593.  7d.  at  2  per  cent.  192   14     2 

Ditto    on    extra    privilege    one 

average  ...          ...          ...  32     2     2^/2 

To    Mr   Wm    Cockerill's    one 

privilege         ...          ...          ...  32     2     2^ 

To  Capf.  Bostock's  coast  com- 
mission on  ^9378  iis.  (a]  4 

per  104  360  14     3 

To  Factors'  (Taylor  &  Kerr), 

Commission  on  do  5%          ...  465      i     8 

To  Mrjohn  McCulloch,  surgeon, 

for  head  money  on  300  slaves 

(fi]  i  currency  is  ^15  @  82}^ 

per  cent.         ...          ...          ...  844 

To     store     rent,     advertising, 

liquor,  &c.      ...          ...          ...  1500 

To    sugar,   rum,    &c.,   shipped 

and  cash  advanced  ...          ...  918     4     8 

,,    Drafts  at  15  mos'  sight     ...         2401    14     2 
„      „   18     ,,        ,,  2401    14     2 

,,         ,,    21       ,,  ,,  2401     14       2 

,,   Factors'  Commission  on  re- 
mittances, &c.,  5%  ...          ...  406     3     7 

^9858       2        10 


A    MILLIONAIRE'S    VENTURES. 


607 


The  appended  table  shows  at  a  glance  the  highly  satis- 
factory result  of  the  six  voyages — to  all  but  the  negroes. 
The  Chief  Accountant  of  the  oppressed  may  possibly  have 
pigeon-holed  another  table,  compiled  on  the  basis  of  our 
fifth  chapter. 

SUMMARY. 


Slaves 
Ships.           sold. 

Net  profits. 

Average  profit 
per  slave. 

Owners. 

£ 

s. 

d. 

£ 

s. 

d. 

Lottery 

453 

12 

,091 

16 

I 

26 

!3 

IO 

T.  Leyland  &  Co. 

Lottery 

305 

19 

,021 

12 

0}^ 

62 

7 

4 

Do. 

Enterprise 

392 

24 

>43° 

8 

I  I 

62 

6 

6 

Do. 

Fortune 

343 

9 

,487 

10 

3 

27 

13 

2 

Do. 

Louisa 

326 

X9 

,133 

IO 

5 

58 

'3 

IO 

Do. 

Bloom 

307 

8 

,123 

7 

2 

26 

9 

2 

T.  Foxcroft&Co. 

2126^92,288     4  10^  ^43    8     3 

The  net  profits  shown  in  the  third  column  are  the 
amounts  actually  divided  between  the  partners  after  pay- 
ment of  all  expenses  incurred  on  the  round  voyage,  and  the 
sums,  of  course,  include  the  profit  made  on  the  rum,  sugar, 
and  other  commodities  sent  home  in  payment  for  the  slaves. 
The  proceeds  were  sometimes  brought  home  in  dollars. 

If  we  multiply  the  number  of  slaves  imported  in  Liver- 
pool ships  in  the  eleven  years  (from  1783  to  1/93)  namely, 
303,737,  by  ^"43,  we  have  a  total  of  ^"13,060,691  or  an  annual 
net  profit  of  ^1,187,335  us.  od.  to  the  merchants  of  Liver- 
pool. The  difference  between  these  amounts,  which  are 
based  on  facts,  and  those  in  the  estimate  (viz.,  ^"12,294,116 
aggregate  net  proceeds,  and  ,£1,117,647  yearly  net  profits) 
is  accounted  for  by  the  fact  that  the  price  of  slaves  had  risen 
considerably  in  the  later  years  of  the  trade,  when  Mr. 
Leyland's  ships  were  engaged  in  it.  It  does  not  appear  that 
the  compiler  of  the  estimate  allowed  for  the  profits  on  the 
sugar,  rum,  etc.  However,  his  figures,  so  far,  appear 


608  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 

reasonable  when  tested  by  realities.  But  when  he  attempts 
to  estimate  the  net  gains  on  a  Guinea  voyage,  putting  the 
profit  at  £9  8s.  5d.  per  slave,  we  part  company  with  him 
arid  appeal  to  the  foregoing  table  of  facts,  which  shows  that, 
even  when  the  ship  returned  to  Liverpool  without  a  cargo  of 
West  Indian  produce  worth  naming,  as  in  the  case  of  the 
Bloom,  the  profit  on  each  slave  imported  was  £26. 

According  to  an  extract  from  the  books  of  the  Liverpool 
Custom-house,  supplied  to  Mr.  Elliot  Arthy,  a  master 
mariner  and  surgeon  engaged  in  the  slave  trade,  it  appears 
that  between  the  5th  of  January,  1798,  and  the  5th  of 
January,  1799,  there  sailed  for  Africa  from  the  port  of 
Liverpool,  150  vessels,*  whose  total  tonnage  was  31,533 
tons,  their  complement  of  slaves,  as  allowed  by  Act  of 
Parliament,  52,557,  and  the  total  of  their  complement  of 
seamen,  as  required  by  law,  5,255.  Mr.  Arthy  made  a 
series  of  elaborate  calculations,  and  arrived  at  the  con- 
clusion that  the  merchants  made  a  clear  profit  of  ,£3850 
per  vessel,  or  .£577,535  in  the  year.  He  estimated  the  net 
remittances  at  ,£2,511,535,  and  the  freight  made  by  the 
ships  from  the  West  Indies  (at  ,£800  a  ship)  ,£120,000, 
total  ,£2,631,535.  Against  this  he  computed  the  probable 
cost  of  repairing,  outfitting,  storing,  victualling,  goods  for 
purchasing  slaves,  seamen's  wages,  insurance,  etc.,  at 
,£2,054,000,  leaving  a  balance,  as  above,  of  ,£577,535. 
This  only  shows  a  profit  of  about  ,£12  per  head  on  the 
47,500  slaves,  whom  he  assumes  to  have  survived  the 
passage.  In  his  desire  to  show  the  collateral  benefits 
flowing  from  the  trade,  he  appears  to  have  exaggerated 
the  cost  of  repairs,  insurance,  victualling,  etc.  The  cost 
of  a  slave  on  the  coast  was  from  ^20  to  ,£25,  and  the 
average  price  in  the  West  Indies  in  1798-99,  trade  being 
very  brisk,  was  .£70.  This  clearly  left  a  margin  for  a 
handsome  profit,  as  shown  in  our  summary  of  six  voyages. 

*  See  Appendix  for  names,  owners,  commanders,  etc. 


(509 


CHAPTER  VII. 
THE  CORPORATION  AND  THE  SLAVE  TRADE. 

"To  abolish    that   trade  would   be  to  'Shut  the  gates  of 
mercy  on  mankind. '  "  —James  Bosivell.     (Life  of  Dr.  Johnson.) 

THE  presentation  of  a  petition  to  the  House  of  Commons, 
in  1787,  signed  principally  by  members  of  the  Society  of 
Friends,  praying  for  the  suppression  of  the  Slave  Trade, 
and  the  formation  of  the  Anti-slavery  Society,  greatly 
alarmed  the  Liverpool  Common  Council.  On  the  i4th  of 
February,  1788,  during  the  mayoralty  of  Mr.  Thomas  Earle, 
the  Council  met,  and  adopted  a  petition  to  Parliament, 
drawn  up  by  Mr.  Statham,  against  the  abolition  of  the 
trade.  The  petition,  which  is  cunningly  framed  to  propitiate 
the  Government,  to  implicate  the  Commons  for  having 
encouraged  the  corporation  in  its  outlay  on  wet  docks  for 
the  African  ships,  and  to  alarm  the  landed  interest  and  the 
capitalists,  is  as  follows:— 

"To  the  honourable  the  House  of  Commons,  &c.  The 
humble  petition  of  the  Mayor,  &c.,  sheweth  :  That  your  peti- 
tioners, as  trustees  of  the  corporate  fund  of  the  ancient  and 
loyal  town  of  Liverpool,  have  always  been  ready,  not  only  to 
give  every  encouragement  in  their  power  to  the  commercial 
interests  of  that  part  of  the  community  more  immediately  under 
their  care,  but  as  much  as  possible  to  strengthen  the  reins  of 
government,  and  to  promote  the  public  welfare.  That  the 
trade  of  Liverpool,  having  met  with  the  countenance  of  this 
honourable  house  in  many  Acts  of  Parliament,  which  have  been 
2Q 


610  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 

granted  at  different  times  during  the  present  century,  for  the 
constructing  of  proper  and  convenient  wet  docks  for  shipping, 
and  more  especially  for  the  African  ships,  which,  from  their 
form,  require  to  be  constantly  afloat,  your  petitioners  have  been 
emboldened  to  lay  out  considerable  sums  of  money,  and  to 
pledge  their  corporate  seal  for  other  sums  to  a  very  large  amount 
for  effectuating  these  good  and  laudable  purposes.  That  your 
petitioners  have  also  been  happy  to  see  the  great  increase  and 
different  resources  of  trade  which  has  flowed  in  upon  their  town 
by  the  numerous  canals  and  other  communications  from  the 
interior  parts  of  this  kingdom,  in  which  many  individuals,  as 
well  as  public  bodies  of  proprietors,  are  materially  interested. 
And  that  from  these  causes,  particularly  the  convenience  of  the 
docks,  and  some  other  local  advantages,  added  to  the  enter- 
prising spirit  of  the  people,  which  has  enabled  them  to  carry 
on  the  African  slave  trade  with  vigour,  the  town  of  Liverpool 
has  arrived  at  a  pitch  of  mercantile  consequence  which  cannot 
but  affect  and  improve  the  wealth  and  prosperity  of  the  kingdom 
at  large. 

"  Your  petitioners  therefore  contemplate  with  real  concern 
the  attempts  now  making  by  the  petitions  lately  preferred  to 
your  honourable  house  to  obtain  a  total  abolition  of  the  African 
slave  trade,  which  has  hitherto  received  the  sanction  of 
Parliament,  and  for  a  long  series  of  years  has  constituted  and 
still  continues  to  form  a  very  extensive  branch  of  the  commerce 
of  Liverpool,  and  in  effect  gives  strength  and  energy  to  the 
whole  ;  but  confiding  in  the  wisdom  and  justice  of  the  British 
senate,  your  petitioners  humbly  pray  to  be  heard  by  their 
Counsel  against  the  abolition  of  this  source  of  wealth  before  the 
honourable  house  shall  proceed  to  determine  upon  a  point 
which  so  essentially  concerns  the  welfare  of  the  town  and  port 
of  Liverpool  in  particular,  and  the  landed  interest  of  the  king- 
dom in  general,  and  which,  in  their  judgment,  must  also  tend 
to  the  prejudice  of  the  British  manufacturers,  must  ruin  the 
property  of  the  English  merchants  in  the  West  Indies,  diminish 
the  public  revenue,  and  impair  the  maritime  strength  of  Great 
Britain.  And  your  petitioners  will  ever  pray,  &c." 


CORPORATION  AND  THE  SLAVE  TRADE.        611 

On  the  4th  of  June,  1788,  the  Council  ordered  that  the 
freedom  of  the  borough  be  granted  to  Messrs.  John 
Tarleton,  Robert  Norris,  James  Penny,  John  Matthews, 
and  Archibald  Dalzell,  who  had  been  deputed  by  the 
Committee  of  the  Liverpool  African  merchants  to  attend  in 
London  on  the  business,  "for  the  very  essential  advan- 
tages derived  to  the  trade  of  Liverpool  from  their  evidence 
in  support  of  the  African  slave  trade,  and  for  the  public 
spirit  they  have  manifested  on  this  occasion."  On  the  2Oth 
of  the  same  month,  the  freedom  of  the  borough  was  pre- 
sented to  Lord  Hawkesbury,  chiefly  for  his  support  of  the 
slave  trade,  and  in  May,  1796,  when  he  was  created  Earl  of 
Liverpool,  the  Corporation  invited  him  to  quarter  the  arms 
of  Liverpool  with  his  own,  which  was  done  to  the  great 
honour  and  edification  of  all  concerned.  Lord  Liverpool 
was  Prime  Minister  from  1812  to  1827. 

In  the  year  1788,  Wilberforce  began  his  agitation  to 
obtain  freedom  for  the  slaves  in  our  West  Indian  Colonies  ; 
and  a  bill  was  passed  for  the  better  regulation  of  slave-ships. 
This  measure  immediately  roused  the  hostility  of  the  Cor- 
poration of  Liverpool,  who,  on  the  2Oth  of  June,  1788, 
petitioned  the  House  of  Lords  to  throw  out  the  bill,  or  to 
allow  them  or  their  counsel  to  be  heard  against  it.  They 
stated  "  that  the  trade  had  been  legally  and  uninterruptedly 
carried  on  for  centuries  past  by  many  of  his  Majesty's 
subjects,  with  advantages  to  the  country,  both  important 
and  extensive  ;  but  had  lately  been  unjustly  reprobated  as 
impolitic  and  inhuman." 

The  spectacle  of  the  corporation,  the  members  of  which 
must  have  been  perfectly  well  acquainted  with  the  horrors 
of  the  slave  trade,  appealing  to  the  House  of  Lords  to 
uphold  the  infamy  of  the  town,  is  a  melancholy,  but 
striking  example  of  the  power  of  usage  and  self-interest 
in  blunting  the  moral  vision  of  men  otherwise  distinguished 
for  many  excellent  and  even  noble  qualities.  In  judging 


612  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 

them  we  must  not  forget  that  in  our  own  day  there  are 
commercial  practices  and  walks  of  trade  that  may  call  for 
the  indulgent  criticisms  of  posterity. 

In  April,  1789,  the  Corporation  presented  to  the  House  of 
Commons  a  petition  verbatim  with  that  of  the  previous  year, 
and  on  July  ist,  another,  similar  in  most  of  its  statements, 
and  praying  that  the  further  inquiry  and  the  examination 
of  witnesses  might  be  postponed  for  another  year.  On  the 
2nd  of  December,  1789,  the  thanks  of  the  Council  were 
presented  to  Messrs.  Norris  and  Penny  for  their  diligent 
attendance  on  the  House,  and  otherwise  respecting  the 
business  of  the  African  Slave  Trade  Bill.  In  the  same 
year,  through  the  efforts  of  Wilberforce,  Fox,  and  Burke, 
resolutions  condemning  the  slave  trade  were  introduced  in 
the  House  of  Commons. 

From  its  immense  importance  to  the  town,  the  slave  trade 
at  election  times  naturally  acted  as  the  touchstone  or 
Ithuriel's  sword,  by  which  the  true  member  was  discovered 
and  elected — provided  his  purse  was  equal  to  the  value 
which  the  freemen  set  upon  their  votes.  In  the  election  of 
1790,  great  credit  was  given  to  the  old  members,  Mr. 
Bamber  Gascoyne  and  Lord  Penrhyn,  for  having,  "  in  the 
late  violent  attempt  to  abolish  the  supply  of  the  West  India 
Islands  with  labourers  from  Africa,  given  the  most  con- 
vincing proofs  of  superior  abilities,  unremitted  attention, 
and  invincible  perseverance."  "  Was  not  the  African 
Trade  in  danger?"  asked  an  admirer,  signing  himself 
"Common  Sense."  "Was  not  Mr.  Pitt,  the  minister, 
against  it?  Was  not  Mr.  Fox,  the  leader  of  the  Opposition 
against  it?  Was  not  the  House  of  Commons  against 
it?  Was  not  the  whole  nation  against  it?  Who  was 
there  to  stand  up  for  it  but  Lord  Penrhyn  and  Mr.  Gascoyne? 
How  then  can  any  man  be  so  ungrateful  as  to  give  his  vote 
against  them  ?  " 

The   idea   of    the   two    Liverpool    members   successfully 


CORPORATION  AND  THE  SLAVE  TRADE.        613 

opposing  the  whole  nation  in  defence  of  the  favourite  traffic 
of  their  constituents,  reminds  us  of  the  Skibbereen  Eagle 
keeping  a  restraining  eye  on  the  Emperor  of  Russia,  or 
Dame  Partington  mopping  out  the  Atlantic.  The  Silas 
Wegg  of  the  Gascoyne  party,  dropping  into  poetry,  rose  to 
the  height  of  his  great  argument  in  the  following  fashion: — 

"  Be  true  to  the  man  who  stood  true  to  his  trust, 
Remember  our  sad  situation  we  must ; 
When  our  African  business  was  near  at  an  end, 
Remember,  my  lads,  'twas  Gascoyne  was  our  friend. 

If  our  slave  trade  had  gone,  there's  an  end  to  our  lives, 
Beggars  all  we  must  be,  our  children  and  wives  ; 
No  ships  from  our  ports  their  proud  sails  e'er  would  spread, 
And  our  streets  grown  with  grass,  where  the  cows  might 
be  fed." 

The  Corporation  did  not  drop  into  poetry,  but  they 
presented  their  thanks  to  Colonel  Gascoyne,  for  his  general 
attention  to  the  interests  of  the  port,  and  particularly  for  his 
unwearied  exertions  on  behalf  of  the  African  slave  trade. 

In  1791,  Wilberforce  continued  the  Anti-Slavery  agita- 
tion, which,  in  the  following  year,  was  very  violently 
opposed  by  H.R.H.  the  Duke  of  Clarence  (afterwards 
William  IV.). 

At  a  special  council,  on  the  24th  of  May,  1792,  Mr.  Henry 
Blundell  being  mayor,  another  petition  against  interference 
with  the  pet  trade,  was  approved,  and  John  Barnes,  Richard 
Miles,  and  Peter  W.  Brancker,  Esquires,  were  desired  to 
wait  upon  H.R.H.  the  Duke  of  Clarence,  and  request  that 
he  would  present  the  same  to  the  House  of  Lords.  On  the 
5th  of  the  following  December,  when  Mr.  Clayton  Tarleton 
was  mayor,  the  council  recognised  the  services  rendered  to 
the  slave  trade  of  the  town  by  the  late  Mr.  Robert  Norris, 
Mr.  James  Penny,  and  Mr.  Samuel  Green,  by  granting  to 
the  widow  of  the  former,  an  annuity  of  ^100  for  life,  a  piece 
of  plate  of  the  value  of  ^100  to  Mr.  Penny,  and  the  sum  of 


614  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 

^"300  to  the  widow  of  the  late  Mr.  Green,  and  ^"117  for  his 
public  services  and  expenses  disbursed.  Messrs.  John 
Barnes  and  P.  W.  Brancker  were  sent  to  join  the  delegates 
from  various  ports,  who  sat  in  London  directing  the  opposi- 
tion to  the  Abolition  Bill. 

In  1792  (the  year  preceding  the  Revolutionary  War), 
the  number  of  Liverpool  ships  engaged  in  the  African 
trade  was  136,  the  tonnage  24,544,  or  about  a  twelfth  part 
of  the  tonnage  which  entered  the  port. 

Not  only  in  public  but  also  in  private  did  Roscoe  use  his 
great  influence  on  behalf  of  the  despised  and  down-trodden 
negro,  as  will  be  seen  from  the  following  letter,  addressed 
at  this  period,  to  a  slave-captain  :— 

"CAPTAIN  WM.   LACE,  of  the  ship  Joshua,  Angola. 

"Per  CAPTAIN  EVANS,  ship  Mary. 
"DEAR  WILLIAM, 

"As  I  mist  the  opportunity  before  you  sailed,  I  take  the 
first  occasion  of  reminding-  you  that  I  shall  think  myself  much 
obliged  by  your  bringing  me  a  small  quantity  of  such  seeds  of 
African  or  West  Indian  plants  as  may  conveniently  fall  in  your 
way — or  if  you  can  employ  any  person  to  collect  them  on  the 
coast,  I  will  pay  the  expense  attending  it.  As  to  plants 
growing,  I  fear  it  wou'd  not  be  possible  to  preserve  them,  and 
wou'd  be  attended  with  much  trouble  ;  but  if  any  bulbous  (or 
onion-like)  roots  cou'd  be  obtained,  they  would  probably  keep 
so  as  to  grow  in  a  hot-house  here  on  their  arrival.  Both  the 
seeds  and  roots  should  be  preserved  from  wet,  which  is  all 
that  will  be  necessary. 

"  I  cannot  omit  this  opportunity  of  expressing  my  hearty 
wishes  for  your  return  in  safety  and  health  to  your  friends, 
and  I  am  sure  you  will  excuse  me,  if  I  remind  you  that  the 
employment  you  are  now  intrusted  with  is  very  weighty  and 
important.  To  have  the  unlimited  direction  and  controul  of 
several  hundreds  of  people  who  are  to  rely  upon  your  care  and 
management  for  their  protection  and  support,  places  you  in  a 
situation  of  great  responsibility,  not  only  to  your  owners,  but 


CORPORATION  AND  THE  SLAVE  TRADE,        615 

to  the  poor  creatures  committed  to  your  charge,  and  to  your 
own  conscience.  That  you  will  discharge  this  serious  duty 
with  fidelity,  and  with  as  much  humanity  as  is  consistent  with 
the  nature  of  this  business,  I  make  no  doubt.  I  have  ob- 
served, with  pleasure,  that  your  natural  disposition  is  kind 
and  liberal,  and  you  can  never  have  a  fitter  opportunity  of 
exerting  these  qualities  than  your  present  situation  affords.  I 
need  not,  I  am  sure,  remark  that  any  warmth  or  hastiness  of 
temper  (which,  if  ever  you  had  it,  is,  I  think,  now  well  cor- 
rected by  experience)  might  be  productive  of  consequences 
which  you  might  ever  have  to  repent.  Coolness,  vigilance, 
compassion,  attention  to  the  necessities  of  all  under  your 
charge  are  essential  requisites.  Let  these  never  be  forgotten, 
and  let  the  poor  imprisoned  African  find  that  in  all  his  dis- 
tresses he  is  not  without  a  friend. 

"May  God  bless  you  and  all  under  your  care,  whatever 
may  be  their  complexion,  and  believe  me,  my  dear  friend,  ever 
affectionately  yours, 

"  W.   ROSCOE. 
"  LIVERPOOL,  \zlhjuly,  1792." 

Captain  William  Lace  was  the  son  of  Mr.  Ambrose  Lace, 
merchant  and  ship  owner,  of  St.  Paul's  Square,  and  brother 
of  Mr.  Joshua  Lace,  the  founder  and  first  president  of  the 
Liverpool  Law  Society.  He  had  a  life  full  of  adventure, 
for  in  the  time  of  the  war  with  France  he  fitted  out  privateers, 
and  took  the  command  of  one  himself.  After  taking  many 
prizes,  he  was  himself  captured  by  the  French  fleet,  and 
carried  a  prisoner  to  France,  from  which  country  he  after- 
wards escaped,  after  enduring  great  hardships.  On  another 
voyage  he  lost  his  ship,  and  was  14  days  in  a  small  boat, 
part  of  this  time  without  water,  and,  when  picked  up,  was 
one  of  the  few  survivors.  He  was  one  of  the  early  African 
explorers,  and,  we  believe,  the  first  to  give  us  an  account  of 
the  gorilla,  long  before  Du  Chaillu.  He  was  an  enthusiastic 
botanist,  and  largely  contributed  to  the  founding  of  the 
Liverpool  Botanical  Gardens,  the  freedom  of  which  was 


616  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 

presented  to  him  in  recognition  of  his  gifts.  Members  of 
his  family  repeatedly  refused  the  office  of  Mayor,  and  the 
last  Bailiff  of  Liverpool  was  his  cousin,  Ambrose  Lace.  One 
of  our  illustrations  is  a  fac-simile  of  an  original  sketch  made 
by  Captain  Lace  of  the  palace  and  stockade  of  an  African 
king,  of  whom  he  purchased  slaves  ;  and  the  private  signal 
code  of  a  slave-ship  is  reproduced  from  the  original  in  his 
handwriting. 

In  May,  1794,  the  Bolton,  Captain  Lee,  arrived  at 
Dominica  from  Africa,  after  a  passage  of  thirty-four  days, 
with  a  remarkably  healthy  cargo  of  negroes,  having  left  the 
coast  with  her  full  complement,  and  buried  only  one. 

The  continuation  of  the  slave  trade  till  the  first  of  January, 
1796,  was  carried  in  the  House  of  Commons  by  a  majority 
of  19.  "  This  decision  signed,"  as  Mr.  Fox  justly  observed, 
''the  death-warrant  of  perhaps  a  hundred  thousand  of  our 
fellow-creatures,  or  more,  and  doomed  an  unknown  number 
to  perpetual  slavery,  with  their  seed,  and  extended  misery  to 
a  still  greater  number  of  their  relatives  in  Africa,  who  were 
left  to  mourn  their  parents  or  children,  husbands  or  wives, 
torn  from  them  by  a  merciless  banditti,  to  satiate  the  un- 
bounded cravings  of  British  avarice."  A  similar  motion  in 
the  Lords  was  postponed  to  the  following  year,  in  order  to 
give  time  for  the  examination  of  witnesses. 

Not  content  with  importing  from  Africa  a  supply  of  slaves 
for  our  own  plantations,  the  Liverpool  merchants  were 
induced  by  love  of  gain  to  perform  the  same  work  for  some 
of  the  neighbouring  kingdoms.  Knowing  that  the  time  and 
opportunity  of  making  such  gain  was  now  limited,  they 
used  redoubled  exertions  to  procure  as  many  of  the  natives 
as  possible.  Secretary  Dundas  presented  a  petition  for  a 
Mr.  Dawson,  of  Liverpool,  stating  that  he  had  eighteen 
vessels  in  the  slave  trade,  for  the  service  of  Spain,  and  that 
the  whole  of  the  property  embarked  altogether  in  it  was 
five  hundred  and  nine  thousand  pounds  and  upwards. 


CORPORATION  AND  THE  SLAVE  TRADE.        617 

At  a  special  council,  held  on  the  i2th  of  March,  1796, 
during  the  mayoralty  of  Mr.  Thomas  Naylor,  it  was 
unanimously  agreed  that  petitions  be  sent  up  on  behalf  of 
the  Corporation  against  the  Bills  before  Parliament  for  the 
abolition  of  the  African  slave  trade,  and  praying  to  be 
heard  by  counsel.  The  petitions  were  merely  an  echo  of 
those  previously  presented.  Among  the  toasts  drunk  at  a 
gathering  of  the  friends  of  John  Tarleton,  Esq.,  met  at  the 
"  King's  Arms,"  in  1796,  to  celebrate  the  anniversary  of  the 
King's  birthday,  was  "Prosperity  to  the  African  Trade,  and 
may  it  always  be  conducted  with  Humanity." 

The  largest  vessel  at  this  time  engaged  in  the  African 
trade  was  the  Parr,  of  566  tons  burthen,  launched  from 
Mr.  W.  N.  Wright's  yard,  in  November,  1797. 

On  the  3rd  of  October,  1798,  during  the  mayoralty  of 
Mr.  Thomas  Staniforth,  the  thanks  of  the  Town  Council, 
and  a  piece  of  plate  to  the  value  of  100  guineas,  were 
presented  to  Mr.  Peter  Whitfield  Brancker,  a  member  of 
the  Council,  for  having,  in  his  character  as  delegate,  attend- 
ing in  London  every  session  of  Parliament,  been  very 
instrumental  in  securing  a  continuance  of  the  slave  trade 
under  proper  restrictions  and  regulations.  Mr.  P.  W. 
Brancker  was  bailiff  in  1/95,  and  mayor  in  1801.  In  1803, 
at  a  period  of  national  danger,  all  the  boatmen  of  the 
river  Mersey  were  formed  into  a  regiment  of  artillery 
under  his  command,  John  Brancker  being  one  of  the 
captains.  Somewhat  blunt  and  bluff  of  bearing,  he  was 
a  true-hearted  man  of  the  old  school,  and  far  before  most 
of  the  merchant  princes  of  that  day  in  reading  and 
intellectual  attainments. 

On  the  ist  of  April,  1799,  during  the  mayoralty  of  Mr. 
Thomas  Leyland,  the  corporation  petitioned  the  Commons 
against  "a  bill  to  prohibit  the  trading  for  slaves  to  the 
coast  of  Africa  within  certain  limits,"  characterising  it  as 
impracticable  in  parts,  injurious,  partial,  and  oppressive,  and 


618  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLAVE  TRADE. 

so  forth.  On  May  ist,  1799,  another  bill  introduced  into 
the  Lords  for  regulating  the  shipping  and  carrying  of  slaves 
in  British  vessels  from  the  coast  of  Africa,  also  drew  a  peti- 
tion from  the  Town  Council,  who  held  that  the  health  and 
comfort  of  the  slaves  had  been  already  effectually  secured. 

On  the  i4th  of  October,  1799,  the  Recorder,  and  a  Com- 
mittee of  the  Council,  attended  at  St.  James's  Palace,  and 
presented  H.R.H.  the  Duke  of  Clarence  (afterwards  the 
"Sailor  King")  with  the  freedom  of  the  borough,  in  a  gold 
box  (costing  £226}  with  an  address  (illuminated  for  25  gui- 
neas) "in  grateful  sense  of  his  active  and  able  exertions  in 
Parliament"  on  behalf  of  the  slave  trade.  After  all,  the 
expenses  of  the  deputation,  together  with  the  presents,  only 
amounted  to  the  price  of  two  or  three  "prime  and  healthy 
negroes" — a  reasonable  return  for  royal  eloquence  and 
support. 

In  the  year  1802,  the  question  of  the  slave  trade  appears 
to  have  been  too  stale  for  effective  electioneering  treatment. 
The  only  reference  to  it  is  in  a  stanza  by  one  of  General 
Gascoyne's  admirers  : 

"For  if  he  your  member  be,  my  boys, 

Provisions  still  must  lower; 
And  open  trade  be  carried  on 

Along"  the  Afric  shore. 

And  a  plumping'  we  will  g"O." 

In  the  year  1804,  a  bill  for  the  abolition  of  the  slave  trade, 
was  carried  by  Wilberforce  in  the  House  of  Commons,  but 
was  thrown  out  by  the  Lords.  In  the  next  session  a  similar 
bill  was  rejected  by  the  Commons.  The  capture  by  Great 
Britain  of  the  French  and  Dutch  Colonies  in  the  West 
Indies,  increased  the  demand  for  slaves,  which  had  been 
diminishing.  The  number  of  slaves  imported  in  Liverpool, 
London  and  Bristol  ships,  in  the  year  1802,  was  41,086;  in 
1803,  the  number  had  fallen  to  24,925;  and  in  1804,  it  had 


CORPORATION  AND  THE  SLAVE  TRADE.        619 

reached  36,899.  Out  of  this  number  the  proportion  carried 
by  Liverpool  was  as  follows  :  In  1802,  122  vessels,  of  30,796 
tons  burthen,  carried  31,371  slaves;  in  1803,  83  vessels,  of 
15,534  tons  burthen,  carried  29,954  slaves  ;  in  1804,  126 
vessels,  of  27,322  tons  burthen,  carried  31,090  slaves.* 

In  1805,  an  order  in  council  prohibited  the  importation  of 
negroes,  to  the  newly  conquered  colonies  of  the  British 
crown.  After  the  death  of  Mr.  Pitt,  in  1806,  the  coalition 
ministry,  under  Lord  Grenville  and  Mr.  Fox,  carried  a  bill 
prohibiting  British  subjects  from  supplying  slaves  either  to 
foreign  settlements  or  to  our  own  colonies.  One  of  the  last 
acts  of  Mr.  Fox  before  he  followed  his  great  rival  to  the 
grave,  was  to  carry  a  resolution  in  the  Commons,  pledging 
the  House  to  the  abolition  of  the  trade  in  the  next  session. 
Meanwhile,  a  bill  was  passed  through  both  Houses, 
forbidding  the  employment  of  any  new  vessel  in  the  trade. 

On  the  2Oth  of  January,  1807,  during  the  mayoralty  of 
Mr.  Thomas  Molyneux,  petitions  to  the  Lords  were 
adopted  from  the  ^Corporation  and  the  Dock  Trustees, 
praying  that  the  Abolition  Bill  be  not  passed,  "but  if 
from  considerations  foreign  to  their  interests  it  should  be 
thought  expedient  that  the  Bill  should  pass,"  the  petitioners 
prayed  for  compensation  for  the  depreciated  value  of 
houses,  warehouses,  land,  etc. 

Parliament  was  dissolved  in  November,  1806,  and  in  its 
short-lived  successor,  called  by  the  Grenville  Ministry,  the 
great  Roscoe,  then  in  the  zenith  of  his  fame,  sat  as  one  of 
the  members  for  Liverpool.  His  political  opinions,  and  his 
enmity  to  the  slave  trade,  were  opposed  to  the  views  of  the 
majority  in  a  constituency  where  the  most  shameless  bribery 

*Sir  James  Picton,  in  his  "Memorials  of  Liverpool,"  vol  I.  p  277,  has  fallen 
into  the  curious  error  of  giving  the  tonnage  of  the  ships  as  the  number  of  slaves 
carried,  the  passage  being  as  follows  : — 

: '  The  trade  had  previously  been  diminishing,  the  number  imported  in  Liverpool 
ships  having  dropped  from  30,796  in  1802,  to  15,534  in  1803.  Stimulated  by  the 
new  colonial  markets,  the  number  in  1804,  had  risen  to  27,322,  being  five-sixths 
of  the  whole  number  imported." 


620  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLAVE  TRADE. 

prevailed.  Nevertheless,  his  high  standing  in  the  commer- 
cial,* literary,  and  political  world,  and  the  unsullied 
excellence  of  his  private  character,  induced  the  burgesses  to 
return  him  at  the  head  of  the  poll.  There  was  something 
of  "the  everlasting  fitness  of  things"  in  the  presence,  in  this 
parliament,  of  the  man,  whose  youthful  genius  had  sung  the 
wrongs  of  Africa;  who,  in  early  manhood  had  confuted  the 
sophistries  of  the  Jesuit  Harris,  and  who  had,  from  first  to 
last,  shared  the  hopes  and  fears  of  Clarkson  and  Wilberforce, 
in  their  long  and  arduous  struggle  with  the  monster  evil, 
against  which,  single-handed,  he  had  stood  forth,  like  young 
David  of  old.  Short  as  was  the  parliament  summoned  by 
the  "ministry  of  all  the  talents,"  it  covered  itself  and  them 
with  imperishable  glory,  by  finally  declaring  the  slave  trade 
illegal,  and  Mr.  Roscoe  had  the  gratification  of  contributing 
to  this  result  by  a  speech,  delivered  on  the  second  reading  of 
the  Bill,  which  received  the  royal  assent  on  March  25th,  1807. 
The  Bill  enacted  that  no  vessel  should  clear  out  for  slaves 
from  any  port  within  the  British  dominions  after  the  ist 
of  May,  1807,  and  that  no  slave  should  be  landed 
in  the  Colonies  after  the  ist  of  March,  1808.  Thus 
was  ended  a  conflict  of  twenty  years  between  truth  and 
falsehood,  justice  and  selfishness,  humanity  and  cruelty; 
and  the  foulest  blot  which  ever  darkened  the  name  of  Eng- 
land was  removed.  During  the  last  fifteen  months  of  the 
trade,  from  January  ist,  1806,  to  May  ist,  1807,  the  number 
of  Liverpool  vessels  engaged  in  the  traffic  was  185,  measur- 
ing 43,755  tons,f  and  allowed  to  carry  49,213  slaves.  The 
immediate  effect  of  the  Bill  upon  the~cbmmerce  of  Liver- 
pool was  injurious.  The  tonnage  fell  from  662,309  in 

*  Mr.  Roscoe  was  connected  with  one  of  the  first  banks  in  Liverpool,  of  which 
Mr.  Thomas  Leyland,  afterwards  the  richest  man  and  most  skilful  banker  in  the 
town,  was  the  head.  The  firm  of  Leyland,  Clarke  and  Koscoe  was  dissolved  on 
December  3 ist,  1806,  the  partners  being  Thomas  Leyland,  John  Clarke  and 
William  Roscoe. 

t  Here  again  Sir  James  Picton  has  substituted  the  tonnage  of  the  ships  for  the 
number  of  slaves  carried. 


CORPORATION  AND  THE  SLAVE  TRADE.        621 

1807  to  516,836  in  1808,  and  the  amount  of  the  dues  from 
,£62,831  to  ^40,638.  This  was  principally  owing  to  the 
general  anxiety  to  "  make  hay  while  the  sun  shines," 
which  swelled  the  tonnage  of  1807,  and  the  depression 
was  not  lasting,  for  the  tonnage  in  1810  had  risen  to 
734,391,  and  the  dues  to  .£65,782. 

When  it  became  known  in  Liverpool  that  Parliament  had 
decreed  that  England  should  no  longer  play  a  guilty  part  in 
perpetuating  the  horrors  of  the  middle  passage,  prophets  of 
woe  and  evil  sprung  up  in  every  street,  and  with  the  ex- 
ception of  the  small  band  of  abolitionists  and  two  or  three 
shrewd  land  speculators,  who  afterwards  reaped  a  great 
reward,  the  whole  community  was  terror-stricken.*  The 
docks  were  to  become  fish-ponds,  the  warehouses  to  moulder 
into  ruins,  grass  was  to  grow  on  the  local  Rialto,  the  streets 
were  to  be  ploughed  up,  "Bootle  organs"f  were  to  sing  in 
the  deserted  mansions  and  pleasure  grounds  of  the  merchant 
princes,  and  Liverpool's  glorious  merchant  navy,  whose 
keels  penetrated  to  every  land,  and  whose  white  sails  wooed 
the  breeze  on  every  ocean,  was  to  dwindle  into  a  fishing 
vessel  or  two,  while  the  brave  tars,  who  had  made  themselves 
the  terror  of  England's  enemies  on  the  seas,  were  to  die  of  star- 
vation or  in  the  workhouse.  "And  what  became  of  Liver- 
pool? Were  the  melancholy  predictions  of  her  prophets 
fulfilled?  Were  her  docks  turned  into  fish-ponds?  Did 
the  mower  cut  down  hay,  or  the  reaper  gather  in  his  harvest 
in  her  deserted  streets?"  Without  entering  at  length  into 
the  fascinating  romance  of  Liverpool's  progress  it  is  a  suf- 
ficient answer  to  quote  the  following  figures,  indicating  the 
enormous  growth  of  her  shipping  trade  :— 

In  1764  the  total  tonnage  of  vessels  that  entered  the  port 

*"The  effect  of  the  abolition  of  the  slave  trade  began  to  be  felt  in  the  cessation  of 
the  demand  for  common  rum,  for  which  the  coast  of  Africa  was  the  principal  vent; 
and  also  of  the  demand  for  all  kinds  of  goods  suited  for  the  African  market,  such 
as  gunpowder,  coarse  cloth,  muskets,  and  trinkets  of  all  kinds." — Baines'  "History 
of  Liverpool,"  p.  732. 

t  Frogs. 


622  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 

was  56,499  tons,  in  1780  it  was  112,000  tons,  in  1796  it 
was  224,000  tons,  in  1811  it  was  611,190  tons,  in  1827  it  was 
1,225,313  tons,  in  1841  it  was  2,425,461  tons,  in  1857  it  had 
reached  4,645,362  tons,  so  that  by  the  same  rule  that 
doubled  the  tonnage  of  the  port  between  1749  and  1764, 
the  tonnage  doubled  itself  between  1841  and  1857.  It 
occupied  134  years  to  produce  an  increase  equal  to  that 
which  had  taken  place  between  1841  and  1857.  In  the  year 
ending  July  ist,  1897,  the  tonnage  had  reached  11,473,421  tons. 
The  value  of  exports  in  the  whole  kingdom  in  1857  amounted 
to  ,£110,000,000  sterling,  out  of  which  ,£55,000,000 
passed  through  Liverpool  alone.  Of  the  total  exports  of 
the  United  Kingdom  in  1896,  amounting  to  ,£296,379,214, 
those  of  Liverpool  were  valued  at ,£93, 298,954;  those  of 
London  at  ,£83,227,874.  The  total  value  of  the  imports 
of  foreign  and  colonial  produce  into  the  United  Kingdom 
in  1896  was  ,£441,808,904,  of  which  ,£146,852,558  was  the 
value  of  London  imports,  and  ,£103,512,255  those  of 
Liverpool.  This  enormous  growth  of  commerce  could 
never  have  taken  place,  but  for  the  continuous  vigilance 
and  enterprise  of  the  inhabitants  of  Liverpool  in  the 
construction  and  extension  of  the  dock  system.  Up  to 
1715,  floating  docks  were  unknown  in  England;  and  in  1795, 
the  Liverpool  docks  were  only  about  i^ miles  in  extent.* 

*In  a  Diary  of  a  Tour  through  Great  Britain,  in  1795,  by  tne  Rev.  Wm. 
MacRitchie,  of  Clunie,  we  find  some  interesting  references  to  Liverpool.  Passing 
through  Ormskirk,  on  the  6th  of  July,  he  saw  "large  fields  of  potatoes,  very  well 
dressed,  and  country  girls,  with  their  petticoats  tucked  up,  bestriding  the  drills  and 
taking  out  every  weed  with  their  hands."  He  approached  Liverpool  from  the  north- 
west, and  says,  ' '  Vast  number  of  ships  under  sail,  making  their  way  out  of  the  river. 
Put  up  at  the  'Cross  Keys,'  near  the  Exchange,  where  dine;  after  dinner  call  upon 
Mr.  Keay,  and  take  the  grace-drink  with  him.  In  the  evening,  Mr.  Keay  accom- 
panies me  out,  and  shows  me  the  docks  and  the  shipping.  This  infinitely  the  most 
wonderful  scene  of  the  kind  I  have  ever  seen ;  and  one  who  has  not  seen  it  cannot 
possibly  conceive  any  idea  of  it.  Sup  at  the  'Cross  Keys'  (Mrs.  Walker)  with  a  number 
of  travelling  gentlemen;  some  of  them  very  entertaining;  Welch,  Irish,  English, 
Scotch,  American,  West  Indies — variety  of  characters."  .  .  "Visit  again  the 
greatest  thing  to  be  seen  here,  or  perhaps  anywhere  else — the  Docks.  Storehouses, 
the  largest  of  any  in  Britain — particularly  the  Duke  of  Bridgewater's,  etc.  One  gentle- 
man here  has  storehouses  eleven  stories  high.  Bathinghouses,  ladies' and  gentlemen's ; 
coffee-rooms ;  vast  number  of  windmills  for  grinding  corn,  flint  for  the  potteries, 


CORPORA  T1ON  AND  THE  SLA  VE  TRADE.        623 

In  1897,  the  Liverpool  dock  systems  fringe  the  estuary 
on  the  Lancashire  shore  for  nearly  seven  miles,  and  pene- 
trate the  Wirral  Peninsula  on  the  Cheshire  side  of  the 
Mersey  for  two  or  three  miles.  The  Liverpool  docks  are 
unrivalled,  not  only  by  reason  of  their  extent,  but  for  the 
solidity  and  magnificence  of  their  construction,  and  the 
facilities  which  they  offer  for  the  quick  handling  of  cargo. 
The  Dock  Estate  on  the  Liverpool  side  of  the  estuary  con- 
tains an  area  of  1 105  acres,  with  25  miles  1679  yards  of  quays. 
On  the  Birkenhead  side,  the  area  is  506  acres,  the  length  of 
quay  space  9  miles  925  yards,  making  the  total  area  of  the 
Dock  Estate,  1611  acres  with  35  miles  844  yards  of  lineal 
quay  space. 

The  total  cost  of  the  docks  is  estimated  at  ^42,000,000. 
Of  this  sum,  ^"19,000,000  was  expended  during  the  thirty- 
five  years  from  1861  to  1896.  A  large  portion  of  the  money 
spent  upon  the  estate  has  been  defrayed  out  of  the  revenue, 
and  the  present  (July,  1897)  bonded  debt  is  ,£18,166,583. 
The  annual  income  of  the  estate  is  (July,  1897)  ,£1,400,152. 
The  whole  of  this  magnificent  property  is  a  public  trust, 
under  the  management  of  the  Mersey  Docks  and  Harbour 
Board,  which  was  instituted  in  1857. 

In  1897,  the  largest  ocean  steamers  are  able  to  come 
alongside  the  Liverpool  Landing  Stage,  which  is  moored  in 
about  the  centre  of  the  seven-mile  frontage  of  the  finest 

flax-seed  for  oil,  logwood,  etc."  .  .  "The  docks  extend  more  than  one  and  a 
half  miles,  and  exceed  all  description.  This  war,  however,  has  considerably  affected 
the  trade  of  Liverpool.  Harbour  difficult  of  access,  the  tract  in  the  river  narrow, 
and  many  sandbanks  on  each  side ;  pilots  necessary."  .  .  "Walkout  again  to 
the  Docks.  The  Glasshouse  here  upon  a  small  scale.  The  Copper  work  discon- 
tinued here ;  removed  to  Wales  on  account  of  the  nearness  of  the  ore  there.  Number 
of  the  best  ships  belonging  to  this  place  taken  during  the  present  war.  Ships  of 
upwards  of  a  thousand  tons  built  here.  'An  endless  grove  of  masts !'  It  gives  one 
a  very  high  idea  indeed  of  the  immense  trade  of  Liverpool,  supposed  superior  to  that 
of  Bristol,  and  inferior  only  to  that  of  London. "  .  .  .  "Thursday  gth  July. — 
Breakfast  at  the  'Cross  Keys.'  After  breakfast  make  my  escape  from  this  large,  ir- 
regular, busy,  opulent,  corrupted  town ;  where  so  many  men  and  so  many  women 
use  so  many  ways  and  means  of  gaining  and  spending  so  much  money,  and  meat, 
and  drink,  etc."  And  so  he  passes  on  to  dine  at  Boldheath,  and  quaff  good  ale,  at 
threepence  a  pint,  and  to  muse  on  the  extravagance  and  wickedness  of  Liverpool. 


624  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 

docks  in  the  world.  Gigantic  and  mysterious  looking 
dredgers — which  would  have  struck  the  bravest  of  our 
privateersmen  with  terror,  had  they  fallen  in  with  them  on 
a  cruise — have  scooped  away  the  shallow  bar,  which  long 
obstructed  the  entrance  to  the  port,  and  now  25  feet  is  the 
least  depth  at  low  water,  and  the  largest  vessels  have  free 
access  at  all  states  of  the  tide.  In  this  the  Mersey  Docks 
and  Harbour  Board  have  displayed  the  pluck  and  enterprise 
of  the  early  makers  of  Liverpool.  By  sending  out  their  fleet 
of  powerful  dredgers  to  cruise  successfully  against  the  enemy 
which,  in  former  ages,  destroyed  the  port  of  Chester,  the 
Board  have  confounded  many  sceptical  engineers,  and 
deserved  the  thanks  of  present  and  future  citizens  of  Greater 
Liverpool.  "England,  England,"  said  the  Marquis  of 
Halifax,  "thou  art  like  Martha,  busy  about  many  things, 
but  one  is  necessary  for  thy  salvation — look  to  thy  moat;  of 
an  Englishman's  creed,  the  first  article  is  the  sea."  This 
true  saying  is  also  good  for  Liverpool,  and  the  Docks  Board 
have  lived  up  to  it.  They,  too,  have  had  their  battles  to 
fight  against  fearful  odds,  and,  figuratively  speaking,  to  face 
the  great  guns,  swivels,  small  arms,  and  stinkpots  of 
innumerable  enemies  and  critics,  and  still  the  good  ship 
Liverpool  sweeps  the  seas,  sound  in  every  plank,  her  officers 
and  crew  in  great  spirits,  and  the  red  flag  of  "no  surrender" 
flying  at  the  main,  as  in  the  days  gone  by. 

There  are  many  other  indications  that,  far  from  having 
reached  the  meridian  height  of  her  glory  and  prosperity, 
Liverpool,  like  that  dark  continent  with  the  sad  history  of 
which  her  own  darkest  record  is  linked,  is  but  on  the  thresh- 
old of  a  more  splendid  future.  In  this  present  year  of 
Jubilee,  about  30,000  natives  went  down  from  the  hinterland 
jnto  the  town  ofJLagos,  and  were  conducted  by  the  governor, 
Major  M'Callum,  down  to  the  beach.  Scarcely  one  of  them 
had  ever  before  beheld  the  sea,  and  their  countenances  were 


CORPORATION  AND  THE  SLAVE  TRADE.        625 

a  perfect  picture  as  they  gazed  at  the  endless  expanse.  It 
was  not  the  vastness  of  the  area  that  impressed  them  most, 
but  the  unceasing  roll  of  the  waves,  which  they  could  not 
understand.  That  great  sea  and  its  ceaseless  roll  is  to  us 
typical  of  that  mighty  civilising  power  which  is  now  ad- 
vancing over  Africa.  In  this  honourable  work,  the  merchants 
of  Liverpool  compete  against  the  world  as  vigorously  and 
successfully  as  their  predecessors  did  in  an  iniquitous  traffic. 
When  Governor  M'Callum,  on  the  occasion  previously 
referred  to,  conducted  the  two  leading  black  kings  to  the 
Durbar,  one  on  each  arm,  the  enthusiasm  of  the  natives 
was  tremendous.  The  chiefs  said  they  never  knew  the 
white  man  as  they  knew  him  then,  and  the  friendship 
expressed  by  them  before  they  left  for  their  homes,  showed 
that  the  jubilee  celebration,  at  Lagos,  was  an  unparalleled 
event  in  the  history  of  the  colony.  It  would  appear  from 
this  that  it  is  only  now,  ninety  years  after  the  abolition  of 
the  Liverpool  slave  trade,  that  the  white  man  is  learning 
the  true  way  of  dealing  with  the  African.  Soon  may  he 

"  View  the  accomplish'd  plan, 
The  negro  towering"  to  the  height  of  man." 

The  Act  of  1807  had  not  the  effect  of  stopping  the  im- 
portation of  slaves,  which  continued  to  be  carried- on  by 
British  subjects  under  the  cover  of  foreign  flags.  Conse- 
quently, in  1811,  another  Act  was  passed,  which  made  such 
importation  felony,  punishable  with  fourteen  years'  trans- 
portation. In  1824,  the  trade  was  declared  to  be  piracy, 
subject  to  the  penalty  of  death.  In  1833,  the  slaves  in  the 
British  Colonies,  to  the  number  of  770,000,  were  emanci- 
pated, subject  to  an  apprenticeship,  which  expired  in  1838, 
the  sum  of  ^20,000,000  being  paid  to  their  owners  as  com- 
pensation. The  part  played  by  Liverpool  in  the  agitation 
which  brought  about  this  result,  does  not  fall  within  the 
scope  of  the  present  work. 

2R 


G2G 


CHAPTER  VIII. 
CAPTAIN  HUGH  CROW. 

CAPTAIN  HUGH  CROW  commanded  the  last  slave-ship  that 
cleared  out  of  the  port  of  Liverpool.  He  was  one  of  the 
bravest,  shrewdest,  quaintest,  and  most  humorous  old  sea 
dogs  that  ever  breathed.  He  lost  his  right  eye  when  very 
young,  but  as  one  of  his  employers  said,  the  other  was  "a 
piercer,  "and  he  was  known  far  and  wide  as  "mind  your  eye, 
Crow."  He  was  generally  on  the  most  friendly  footing  with 
himself,  and  ready  to  uphold  his  own  merits,  the  beauty  of 
his  native  Isle  of  Man,  and  the  Manx  language,  wherever  he 
went.  He  was  justly  proud  of  the  estimation  in  which  he 
was  held  by  the  merchants  and  underwriters  of  Liverpool 
and  London,  and  it  was  a  great  sight  to  see  him  nodding 
and  bowing  with  much  urbanity  when  he  met  them  in  the 
streets  or  on  'Change. 

We  have  it  on  the  high  authority  of  Mr.  Hall  Caine,  that 
the  Manxman  is  a  born  sailor,  and  Hugh  Crow  heard  the 
call  of  the  sea  very  early.  When  a  mere  child,  walking  with 
his  mother  on  the  shore  at  Ramsey,  where  he  was  born,  in 
1765,  he  prophesied  to  her  that  he  would  command  a  big 
ship  some  day.  When  that  prophecy  was  fulfilled  he  did 
not  forget  to  send  the  old  lady  substantial  tokens  of  his  love 
and  success.  Soon  after  being  bound  apprentice  to  the  sea, 
in  the  employ  of  a  Whitehaven  merchant,  he  had  to  fight  for 
his  life  with  a  vindictive  fellow-apprentice,  who,  on  a  dark 


CAPTAIN  HUGH  CROW.  627 

night,  attempted  to  throw  him  from  the  maintop-gallant  yard 
into  the  sea.  He  saved  himself  with  difficulty,  forgave  the 
attempted  murder,  and  held  his  tongue. 

His  early  life  was  full  of  adventure.  On  one  occasion,  he 
left  his  ship  at  night,  taking  with  him  his  quadrant  and 
chest,  having  procured  a  situation  as  second  mate  of  a  fine 
ship,  bound  to  Honduras.  His  old  captain,  suspecting  his 
intentions,  and  anxious  to  retain  so  valuable  a  man, 
discovered  his  retreat,  and,  attended  by  bailiff,  constables, 
and  soldiers,  boarded  his  new  ship.  After  a  scuffle 
with  the  crew,  who  also  desired  to  retain  their  new 
acquisition,  the  captain,  the  law,  and  the  army  discovered 
Crow  in  the  pump-well,  nearly  suffocated  with  filth  and  heat. 
When  he  was  dragged  upon  deck,  the  captain  threatened  to 
cleave  him  with  the  cook's  axe  if  he  made  any  resistance. 
He  was  tightly  handcuffed,  bundled  into  a  boat,  with  only 
his  shirt  and  trousers  on,  taken  on  shore,  and  thrown  into 
a  noxious  prison,  amongst  a  number  of  dirty,  runaway 
negroes.  "  There  I  lay,"  he  says,  "  without  any  food,  and 
tormented  by  rats,  for  forty-eight  hours.  It  is  but  a 
grateful  acknowledgment  on  my  part  to  state  that  many  of 
the  poor  negroes  shed  tears  on  seeing  my  distressed 
situation." 

In  December,  1787,  he  sailed  as  a  passenger  on  board  a 
ship  bound  from  Cork  to  Kingston,  Jamaica,  paying  one 
penny,  as  was  the  custom,  otherwise  a  sailor  (though  a 
passenger)  might  claim  wages.  They  met  with  a  succession 
of  dreadful  gales,  which  greatly  disheartened  the  crew,  and 
Hugh  Crow  endeavoured  to  rally  their  drooping  spirits  on 
many  a  stormy  night  by  singing  sea  songs,  and  especially 
"Ye  Gentlemen  of  England,"  which  he  always  found  to 
have  an  animating  effect  on  his  shipmates  on  dark  and 
stormy  nights. 

He  had  several  offers  to  go  as  second  mate  to  the  coast  of 
Africa,  but,  like  many  other  sailors,  he  was  prejudiced 


G28  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 

against  the  Guinea  trade,  and  had  an  abhorrence  of  the  very 
name  of  "  slaves,"  "never  thinking,"  he  observes,  "that 
at  the  time  I  was  as  great  a  slave  as  well  might  be  ;  and  I 
agreed,  though  with  fewer  advantages,  to  embark  as 
second  mate  of  the  Elizabeth,  the  first  ship  bound  to 
Jamaica."  * 

He  tells  the  following  anecdote,  which  we  quote,  because 
it  shows  the  soft  side  of  a  strong  character  that  knew  no  fear. 
It  relates  to  a  black  boy  they  had  on  board  named  "Fine 
Bone,"  about  fifteen  years  of  age  : — 

"When  we  got  further  north,"  says  Crow,  "the  cold  began 
to  pinch  him  severely,  and,  being-  very  fond  of  me,  he  one 
morning  came  shivering  to  the  side  of  my  cot,  and  said  : 
'  Massa  Crow,  something  bite  me  too  much,  and  me  no  can 
see  'im,  and  me  want  you  for  give  me  some  was  mouth,  and 
two  mouth  tacken.'  I  knew  that  'wash  mouth  '  meant  a 
dram,  and  he  soon  gave  me  to  understand,  by  getting  hold  of 
my  drawers,  what  he  meant  by  '  two  mouth  tacken.'  I  fur- 
nished the  poor  fellow  with  the  needful,  and  as  he  had  shoes, 
stockings,  and  jacket  before,  he  was  quite  made  up." 

His  repugnance  to  the  slave  trade  was  at  length  overcome. 
In  1790,  he  made  his  first  voyage  to  Africa  in  the  Prince, 
belonging  to  Mr.  J.  Dawson,  and  afterwards  he  sailed  in  one 
of  Mr.  Harper's  ships,  and  in  the  Jane  belonging  to  Mr. 
Boats,  as  second  mate,  which  was  equal  to  chief  mate  in  any 
other  employ.  In  June,  1794,  he  sailed  as  chief  mate  of  the 
Gregson,  a  fine  ship  of  18  six-pounders,  Captain  W.  Gibson, 
bound  to  Guernsey  for  spirits,  and  thence  to  Cape  Coast. 
Three  days  after  leaving  Guernsey,  they  were  attacked  by 
the  Robuste,  a  large  French  ship,  of  24  long  twelve-pounders, 
and  150  men.  After  a  vigorous  action  of  about  two  hours, 

*  It  was  with  money  granted  by  the  Underwriters  for  services  rendered  to  the 
Elizabeth  when  she  took  the  ground  in  coming  into  dock,  that  Crow  bought  the 
first  respectable  suit  of  clothes  he  ever  possessed.  He  was  expert  as  a  carpenter 
as  well  as  a  sailor,  having  served  two  years  to  the  trade  of  a  boat-builder. 


CAPTAIN  HUGH  CROW.  629 

in  which  several  of  the  35  men  who  manned  the  Gregson 
were  severely  wounded,  Captain  Gibson,  to  avoid  useless 
loss  of  life,  reluctantly  struck.  They  were  carried  to 
L'Orient,  and  fairly  treated  as  prisoners  of  war  for  some 
weeks.  Here  they  saw  150  fine  looking  women,  who  had 
been  caught  with  a  priest  at  prayers  in  a  field  on  a  Sunday, 
brutally  driven  into  the  town  and  handed  to  the  public 
executioner  without  a  trial.  Crow,  with  others,  was  removed 
to  Quimper,  where  he  experienced  terrible  hardships  in 
prison.  Lady  Fitzroy  and  her  brother,  the  Hon.  Henry 
Wellesley  (sister  and  brother  of  the  Duke  of  Wellington), 
were  also  prisoners  at  the  same  place,  and  not  having  been 
plundered  of  their  money,  sent  nourishment  to  the  sick. 
Crow,  like  a  careful  Manxman,  had  a  little  cash,  and  raised 
£20  on  his  note  of  hand,  which  saved  his  life,  as  those  who 
had  no  money  perished  of  want  or  disease.  He  complains 
that  the  feeling  of  the  day,  in  England,  was  exclusively 
devoted  to  the  melioration  of  the  black  slaves,  while  not  a 
word  was  said  of  the  white  slaves  who  were  daily  dying  by 
scores  in  the  prisons  of  France. 

"Often"  he  says  "in  our  indignation  at  this  partiality, 
and  indifference  to  our  fate,  did  we  wish  that  our  colour  had 
been  black,  or  anything  else  than  white,  so  that  we  might 
have  attracted  the  notice  and  commanded  the  sympathy  of 
Fox,  Wilberforce,  and  others  of  our  patriotic  statesmen." 

By  the  middle  of  November,  nearly  2000  prisoners  had 
died,  and  Crow  and  the  rest  who  could  walk  were  marched 
to  the  north  of  France.  After  marching  five  or  six  hundred 
miles  he  was  put  in  hospital  at  Pontoise,  in  February,  1795, 
and  here  an  English  mate  taught  him  arithmetic  and 
logarithms.  He  also  picked  up  a  few  French  words,  and 
one  day  in  May,  1795,  having  fixed  a  large  tricoloured 
cockade  in  his  hat,  and  the  vocabulary  in  his  mind,  he  made 
his  escape.  Next  day,  when  he  had  proceeded  fifty  miles, 
he  was  stopped  at  a  bridge  by  an  officer  and  a  file  of  soldiers. 


630  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 

His  newly  acquired  French  suddenly  deserted  him  and  he 
stood  mute. 

"The  officer,"  he  says,  "followed  up  one  stern  inquiry  by 
another,  but  all  to  no  purpose.  At  length,  as  a  random  expe- 
dient, I  bolted  out  all  the  words  of  the  different  languages  I 
could  remember,  and  of  which  I  had  obtained  a  smattering  in 
my  different  voyages,  mingling  the  whole  with  my  native 
language,  the  Manks,  with  a  copiousness  proportioned  to  my 
facility  in  speaking  it.  The  Frenchman  was  astonished  and 
enraged,  and  as  he  went  on  foaming  and  roaring,  I  continued 
to  repeat  (in  broken  Spanish),  '  No  entiendo  ! '  until  worn  out 
of  all  patience,  he  swore  I  was  a  Breton,  and  giving  me  a 
sharp  slap  with  his  sword,  he  exclaimed  '  Va-t  en,  coquin  !'  I 
thanked  him  over  and  over  again,  as  loud  as  I  could,  in  Manks, 
and  I  assure  the  reader  never  were  thanks  tendered  with  more 
sincerity.  After  this  escape,  I  became  more  cautious,  and 
resolved  henceforward  to  travel  only  by  night.  With  the  dawn 
I  looked  out  for  a  place  of  shelter  and  repose,  and  every 
morning,  as  I  lay  down  to  rest  among  the  green  bushes,  my 
drooping  spirits  were  not  a  little  animated  by  the  delightful 
notes  of  the  thrush  and  the  blackbird  that  emerged  from  their 
nests  to  enjoy  the  wide  freedom  of  the  air,  while  I,  to  preserve 
myself  from  a  prison,  sought  covert  from  the  beams  of  day." 

Missing  his  way  one  day,  he  found  himself  close  to  a 
camp  of  soldiers,  and  in  the  greatest  alarm  took  to  his  heels. 
After  running  and  walking  sixty  miles,  his  "poor  old  hull 
was  in  so  sad  a  condition  from  stem  to  stern,"  that  he  "put 
into  the  first  port,"  turned  into  a  house,  and  submitted  him- 
self to  the  mercy  of  the  people.  While  they  were  giving 
him  brandy,  and  putting  his  feet  in  warm  water,  he  fell  in- 
sensible across  the  tub.  He  was  put  to  bed,  slept  soundly, 
and  in  the  morning,  after  a  good  breakfast,  he  proceeded  on 
his  journey,  blessing  his  benefactors.  He  reached  Rouen, 
and  in  two  days  arrived  at  Havre,  where  a  generous  Danish 
captain  gave  him  a  passage  to  Deal,  on  arriving  at  which 


CAPTAIN  HUGH  CROW.  631 

place,  he  kissed  the  soil,  in  gratitude  for  his  deliverance. 
The  Dane  paid  his  fare  to  London,  and  he  again  raised  ,£10 
on  his  note  of  hand  and  started  for  Liverpool,  where  he 
arrived  "in  great  spirits,"  after  an  imprisonment  of  about 
twelve  months.  The  first  person  known  to  him,  whom  he 
saw  in  Liverpool,  was  his  brother  William,  who  had  gone 
out  as  chief  mate  of  the  Othello,  Captain  Christian,  to  Bonny, 
where  the  ship  one  night  caught  fire  and  blew  up,  several 
whites,  and  about  120  blacks  on  board  perishing,  amongst 
them  being  a  brother  of  King  Pepple.  William  Crow  had 
scarcely  left  the  vessel  when  the  explosion  took  place. 
Captain  Christian,  in  a  subsequent  voyage,  met  with  a 
similar  and  more  fatal  accident.  Hugh  Crow  mentions  a 
little  romance  in  connection  with  his  next  vessel: — 

"After  a  short  stay  in  Liverpool,  I  shipped  as  chief  mate  of 
the  Anne,  a  fine  ship,  mounting'  eighteen  guns,  commanded  by 
my  old  master,  Captain  Reuben  Wright,  and  bound  to  Bonny. 
While  we  lay  in  the  river  Mersey,  a  number  of  men  one  day 
came  on  board,  and  amongst  them  was  a  prepossessing  young 
sailor  of  apparently  about  eighteen  years  of  age,  named  Jack 
Roberts.  This  youth  drank  grog,  sang  songs,  chewed  tobacco, 
enjoyed  a  yarn,  and  appeared  in  all  respects,  saving  the 
slenderness  of  his  build,  like  one  of  ourselves.  In  a  few  days, 
however,  we  discovered  that  Jack's  true  name  and  designation 
\va.sjane  Roberts,  and  a  very  beautiful  young  woman  she  was. 
She  was  landed  with  all  possible  gentleness,  and  I  was 
informed  soon  after  married  a  respectable  young  man.  It  is 
remarkable  that  about  this  time  several  handsome  young 
women  committed  themselves  in  the  same  way,  and  some 
succeeded  in  probably  eluding  all  discovery  of  their  sex,  and 
made  a  voyage  or  two  to  sea." 

The  Anne  arrived  at  Bonny  almost  at  the  same  moment 
as  the  Old  Dick  and  the  Eliza,  from  which  she  had  been 
separated  at  sea  for  fourteen  weeks.  The  town  being  full  of 
slaves,  the  Anne  soon  completed  her  cargo,  and  in  three 


G32  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 

weeks  they  sailed  to  the  westward  in  good  health  and  spirits. 
'When  about  three  days'  sail  to  windward  of  Barbadoes,  they 
took  under  "their  protection  a  Lancaster  brig  parted  from 
the  convoy,  and  defended  her  gallantly  against  a  French 
privateer  which  poured  three  or  four  broadsides  into  the 
Anne,  but  met  with  a  warm  reception  in  the  shape  of 
broken  copper  dross  made  up  in  bags,  which  did  terrible 
execution.  After  continuing  the  action  off  and  on  for 
nearly  five  hours,  the  Frenchman  made  off,  leaving  the 
Anne  much  damaged,  and  with  several  whites  and  blacks 
wounded.  On  her  arrival  at  Barbadoes  every  man  and 
boy  worth  taking  were  impressed,  "a  galling  reception," 
says  Crow,  "after  the  manner  in  which  we  had  defended 
ourselves  and  the  Lancaster  brig  from  the  enemy." 
They  sailed  for  Santa  Cruz,  sold  the  slaves,  loaded  at  St. 
Thomas's,  and  in  due  course  arrived  in  Liverpool. 

His  next  voyage  was  as  mate  in  the  James,  Captain 
Gibson,  with  liberal  wages,  besides  a  gratuity  of  £100 
and  the  promise  of  a  ship  on  his  return.  They  sailed  in 
October,  1796,  but  the  ship  got  ashore  on  the  Cheshire  side, 
and  Crow  earned  the  thanks  of  the  owners  and  underwriters, 
for  his  conduct  on  this  occasion.  Proceeding  on  their 
voyage,  they  arrived  at  Bonny,  and  after  taking  in  a  cargo 
of  negroes,  weighed  anchor  on  Janaury,  I5th,  1797.  They 
had  scarcely  proceeded  five  leagues,  when  the  ship  grounded 
at  half-ebb  on  a  bank,  and  then,  with  six  feet  water  in  her 
hold,  was  carried  over  the  tail  of  the  bank  by  the  tide  and  came 
to  anchor  in  deep  water.  The  captain  went  off  in  a  boat 
to  Bonny  to  get  assistance,  leaving  Crow  to  do  the  best 
he  could  with  the  ship  and  about  400  blacks,  and  only 
40  whites  to  superintend  them.  While  the  pumps  were 
going,  and  the  spirits  and  strength  of  the  crew  sinking, 
Crow  went  down  into  the  hold  with  the  carpenter,  found 
the  leak,  and  crammed  it  with  pieces  of  beef.  The  slaves 
had  got  themselves  out  of  irons,  and  when  Crow  unlocked 


CAPTAIN  HUGH  CROW.  633 

the  hatch  they  all  gathered  round  him,  shook  him  by 
the  hand,  and  asked  him  to  permit  fifteen  of  their  best 
men  to  come  up  and  assist  at  the  pumps,  which  was 
readily  agreed  to.  The  ship  had  to  be  stranded  in  Bonny 
Creek,  and  the  slaves  put  on  board  of  other  vessels.  At 
night,  the  natives  plundered  her,  but  Crow,  who  had 
stowed  all  his  own  property  on  the  booms,  and  furnished 
himself  \vith  scores  of  six-pound  shot,  defended  himself 
stoutly  against  all  attempts  to  dislodge  him.  At  length 
Kings  Pepple  and  Holiday  came  alongside  and  com- 
manded their  people  to  desist. 

"I  was  rejoiced  at  the  truce,"  he  says,  "for  although  my 
ammunition  was  not  yet  expended,  so  desperate  and  destructive 
was  my  defence,  that  had  my  assailants  not  been  called  off, 
they  would,  in  revenge,  certainly  have  killed  me  in  the  end. 
Many  whites  and  blacks  were  wounded  on  both  sides.  The 
ship,  in  a  few  days,  was  literally  torn  to  pieces,  and  a  demand 
was  even  made  for  half  the  number  of  the  blacks  we  had  on 
board.  The  fatigues  I  had  undergone  brought  on  a  severe 
illness,  which  continued  for  several  days.  On  my  recovery,  I  was 
invited  by  the  Kings  and  the  great  men  to  spend  some  time 
with  them  on  shore.  When  I  reached  the  town,  all  classes 
were  lavish  of  their  presents  to  me  (for  I  was  always  on  good 
terms  with  the  inhabitants),  and  even  the  children,  amongst 
whom  I  was  well  known,  sang  after  me  in  the  streets.  A  grand 
ceremony  afterwards  took  place,  and  I  was  sent  for  to  attend 
the  Palaver-house,  where  I  found  both  the  Kings  and  all  their 
great  men  sitting,  attended  by  crowds  of  priests  and  people. 
The  priests  proceeded  to  lead  to  the  sacrifice  hundreds  of 
goats  and  other  animals,  and  the  Kings  were  very  active  in 
performing  the  part  of  butchers  on  the  occasion.  All  the 
musicians  in  the  town  were  in  attendance,  and  a  horrible 
discordant  din  they  made.  I  was  given  to  understand  that 
during  the  ceremony  I  must  neither  laugh  nor  smile,  and  I 
believe  I  kept  my  instructions  by  maintaining  a  suitable  gravity 
of  visage.  The  day  was  afterwards  devoted  to  feasting  and 


634  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 

revelry,  and  this  grand  dement  was  intended  as  a  thanks- 
offering-  to  their  god,  for  his  goodness  in  casting  our  ship  upon 
their  shore.  From  Bonny,  I  took  my  passage  to  Kingston, 
and  thence  to  Liverpool  ;  where,  notwithstanding  the  unfor- 
tunate issue  of  our  last  voyage,  I  met  with  a  most  friendly 
reception  from  my  employers.  I  afterwards  agreed  to  go 
mate  of  a  ship  called  the  Parr  ;  but  had  cause  to  change  my 
mind,  and  it  was  well  I  did  so  :  for  that  ship  was  blown  up  at 
Bonny  on  the  same  voyage.  She  had  at  the  time  her  full 
complement  of  slaves  on  board,  most  of  whom  as  well  as  the 
whites  lost  their  lives,  and  of  the  number  was  Captain 
Christian,  whose  former  ship,  the  Othello,  it  will  be  remem- 
bered, was  also  blown  up,  and  he  and  my  brother  were 
amongst  the  few  survivors.  At  length,  as  the  old  proverb  goes, 
'  long  looked  for  come  at  last,'  I  had  the  good  fortune  to  be 
appointed  to  the  command  of  a  very  fine  ship  called  the  Will, 
belonging  to  Mr.  W.  Aspinall,  one  of  the  most  generous 
merchants  in  Liverpool.  She  was  about  300  tons  burthen, 
carried  eighteen  six-pounders,  besides  small  arms,  and  was 
manned  by  fifty  men.  The  instructions  I  received  were 
most  liberal,  and  as  a  young  man  on  my  first  voyage  as 
master  of  a  ship,  I  could  not  but  be  highly  gratified  by 
the  friendly  and  confidential  language  in  which  they  were 
conveyed.  We  sailed  for  Bonny,  in  July,  1798,  and  arrived 
safely,  after  a  fine  passage.  One  of  our  first  occupations  was 
the  construction  of  a  regular  thatched  house  on  the  deck,  for 
the  accommodation  and  comfort  of  the  slaves.  This  building 
extended  from  stem  to  stern,  and  was  so  contrived  that  the 
whole  ship  was  thoroughly  aired,  while  at  the  same  time  the 
blacks  were  secured  from  getting  overboard.  These  tem- 
porary buildings  would  cost  from  ^30  to  ^40,  according 
to  the  size  of  the  ship.  We  soon  procured  a  cargo,  and  after 
a  pleasant  run  arrived  at  Kingston  in  good  health  and  spirits. 
Our  voyage  proved  to  be  most  successful.  I  sold  nearly 
;£i2OO  worth  of  return  goods,  which  I  had  saved  from  my 
outward  cargo,  and  received  the  bounty  allowed  by  govern- 
ment for  the  good  condition  of  the  slaves  on  their  arrival. 


CAPTAIN  HUGH  CROW.  635 

We  sailed  for  England  with  the  fleet,  from  which  we  parted 
in  a  gale  of  wind;  but  ours  was,  nevertheless,  the  first  ship 
that  arrived  at  Liverpool.  Mr.  Aspinall,  my  owner,  who  was 
fond  of  a  good  joke,  happening  to  meet  one  evening  with  old 
Mr.  Hodson,  merchant,  commonly  called  'Count'  Hodson,  their 
conversation  turned  upon  the  voyage  we  had  just  accomplished. 
Mr.  Hodson  observed,  '  I  give  my  captains  very  long 
instructions,  yet  they  can  hardly  make  any  money  for  us  ;' 
adding  to  Mr.  Aspinall,  'What  kind  of  instructions,  Will, 
did  you  give  your  captain  ?'  '  Why,' replied  Mr.  Aspinall,  'I 
took  him  to  Beat's  hotel,  where  we  had  a  pint  of  wine 
together,  and  I  told  him— CROW  !  MIND  YOUR  EYE  !  for  you 
•will  find  many  ships  at  Bonny  ! '  Mr.  Hodson  immediately 
said,  '  Crow  !  mind  your  eye  ! — Will,  I  know  the  young  man 
well,  he  has  only  one  eye.'  'True, 'said  Mr.  Aspinall,  'but 
that's  a  piercer  ! '  The  joke  travelled  to  London,  and  I  could 
hardly  cross  the  'Change  there  afterwards  without  hearing 
some  wag  or  other  exclaim,  '  Crow,  mind  your  eye  !'  It  is  very 
probable  that  Mr.  Aspinall  had,  in  joke,  told  some  of  them  that 
these  words  were  the  only  instructions  I  had  ever  received  ; 
and  as  such  a  fancy  on  his  part  was  complimentary  to  me,  I 
may  here  state  that  I  should  have  been  as  proud  of  that 
laconic  injunction,  and  acted  as  faithfully  for  his  interests 
under  it,  as  under  the  lengthened  instructions  which  he  penned, 
in  his  proper  anxiety  as  a  trader  who  had  much  at  stake. " 

He  sailed  for  Bonny  in  July,  1799.  When  off  Cape 
Palmas,  a  fast-sailing  schooner  brushed  up  alongside  of 
them,  hoisted  French  colours,  and  began  to  fire;  but  they 
cooled  his  courage  with  a  few  broadsides,  and  he  sheered 
off  before  the  wind.  They  lay  in  the  river  Bonny  about 
three  months,  slaving,  and  had  a  two  hours'  fight  with  some 
French  vessels.  On  this  voyage,  while  in  the  latitude  of  To- 
bago, on  the  2 1 st  of  February,  1800,  the  Will  was  attacked  by 
a  large  French  privateer,  of  18  guns,  who  gave  her  two  broad- 
sides, and  with  a  loud  yell  attempted  to  board,  but  received 
such  a  destructive  fire  from  the  Wills  guns,  loaded  with 


636  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 

round  and  broken  copper  dross,  that  he  sheered  off,  and  fired 
from  a  greater  distance.  After  fighting  for  about  two  hours, 
he  came  up  a  second  time,  and  ordered  Captain  Crow  to 
strike,  or  he  would  sink  him.  Crow  replied  that  sooner 
than  strike  to  such  as  him,  he  would  go  down  with  the  ship. 
This  exasperated  the  French  captain,  who  took  up  a  musket 
and  fired  it  at  Crow  several  times.  With  another  yell,  the 
enemy  attempted  to  board,  but  failed,  and  the  Will  poured 
into  him  three  broadsides,  which  produced  much  havoc 
and  confusion  among  his  men.  The  privateer  dropped 
astern  to  refit,  and  again  came  up  fiercely,  the  action  being 
stoutly  maintained  on  both  sides  for  about  two  hours  longer. 
At  last,  after  an  engagement  lasting  in  the  whole  about 
four  hours  and-a-half,  the  privateer  sheered  off,  leaving  the 
Will  in  a  very  shattered  condition.  One  of  the  enemy's 
shot  went  into  the  men's  room  below,  and  wounded  twelve 
blacks,  two  of  whom  died  next  day,  and  two  others  had 
their  thigh  bones  broken.  Three  of  the  crew  were  wounded, 
and  a  gun  dismounted  by  another  shot. 

"As  soon  as  we  had  finally  beaten  him  off,"  says  the  captain, 
"I  went  into  the  cabin  to  return  thanks  to  that  Providence 
which  had  always  been  so  indulgent  to  me  in  all  my  dangers 
and  troubles.  When  the  black  women  (who  had  rooms  separate 
from  the  men)  heard  that  I  was  below,  numbers  of  the  poor 
creatures  gathered  round  me,  and  saluting  me  in  their  rude  but 
sincere  manner,  thanked  their  gods,  with  tears  in  their  eyes, 
that  we  had  overcome  the  enemy.  My  officers  and  the  ship's 
company  conducted  themselves  throughout  the  action  with  the 
greatest  coolness  and  determination,  and  we  found  a  young 
black  man,  whom  we  had  trained  to  the  guns  on  the  passage, 
to  be  both  courageous  and  expert.  In  a  few  days  after  this 
.  rencontre  we  arrived  at  St.  Vincent's,  where  we  refitted,  and 
proceeded  to  Kingston.  We  had  scarcely  let  go  the  anchor  at 
Port  Royal  when  no  fewer  than  eight  men-of-war  boats  came 
alongside,  and  took  from  us  every  man  and  boy  they  could  find. 


CAPTAIN  HUGH  CROW.  637 

The  impressment  of  seamen  I  have  always  considered  to  be, 
in  many  points  of  view,  much  more  arbitrary  and  cruel  than 
what  was  termed  the  slave  trade.  Our  great  statesmen,  how- 
ever, are  regardless  of  such  evils  at  home,  and  direct  their 
exclusive  attention  to  supposed  evils  abroad. 

"Our  voyage  proved  very  successful,  and  the  blacks  were  so 
healthy,  and  so  few  deaths  had  occurred  amongst  them,  that  I 
was,  a  second  time,  presented  with  the  bounty  of  £100  awarded 
by  government.  We  returned  home  under  convoy ;  and  on  our 
arrival  off  the  N.W.  Buoy,  my  owner  and  his  brothers  paid  me 
the  compliment  of  coming  out  to  meet  me.     To  add  to  my 
satisfaction,  Mr.  Aspinall  appointed  a  fine  ship,  the  Lord  Stanley, 
to  sail  with  me  on  the  next  voyage.     To  Mr.  Kirby,  my  mate, 
was  given  the  command  of  that  vessel,  and  she  was  placed  in 
every  respect  entirely  under  my  orders.     Both  ships,  together 
with  some  others  that  were  to  join  us,  being  fitted  for  sea,  and 
with  valuable  cargoes,  I  received  my  instructions,  which  were  of 
the  most  liberal  nature,  and  we  sailed  in  October,  1800,  for  the 
coast  of  Africa.     We  encountered  some  severe  gales  of  wind, 
and  did  not  reach  Bonny  till  after  a  passage  often  weeks.  There, 
the  ship  Diana,  having- been  cast  ashore  and  become  a  wreck,  we 
received  on  board  the  captain  and  crew.     After  completing  our 
cargo,  we  sailed  in  company,  all  in  good  health,  and  arrived 
at  Jamaica  without  losing  a  man.     Indeed  my  friends  at  Kings- 
ton used  to  say — 'Crow  has  come  again,  and,  as  usual,  his 
whites  and  blacks  are  as  plump  as  cotton  bags.'     Having  con- 
cluded our  business,  we  sailed  from  Port  Royal  on  the  2ist  of 
May,  1 80 1,  under  the  convoy  of  the  York,  sixty-four,  Commo- 
dore John  Ferrier.     The  Will  was  appointed  a  pennant  ship, 
and  at  the  same  time,  one  of  the  whippers-in  of  the  fleet." 

The  Hector,  of  Liverpool,  having  gone  down,  the  crew 
jumping  overboard,  they  were  all  saved  by  the  Will,  Captain 
Crow  personally  rescuing  several  of  them.  "  One  of  them, 
a  Swede,"  he  says,  "was  only  saved  by  being  caught  hold  of 
with  a  boat-hook.  He  had  on  a  pair  of  heavy  half-boots, 
and  was  moreover  loaded  with  a  quantity  of  doubloons 


638  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 

sewed  up  in  a  belt.  This  fellow,  when  he  came  to  himself, 
without  thanking  God,  or  us,  for  his  preservation,  only 
made  anxious  inquiry  if  his  money  were  safe."  The  fleet, 
consisting  of  164  ships,  when  all  under  sail  presented  a 
most  beautiful  appearance.  Soon  after  his  arrival  in  Liver- 
pool, Captain  Crow  was  presented  by  the  merchants  and 
underwriters  with  a  handsome  silver  tray,  bearing  the 
following  inscription  : — 

"This  piece  of  plate  is  presented  by  the  Merchants  and 
Underwriters  of  Liverpool  to  Capt.  Hugh  Crow,  of  the  ship 
Will,  in  testimony  of  the  high  estimation  they  have  of  his 
meritorious  conduct  in  the  River  Bonny,  on  the  coast  of  Africa, 
on  the  i6th  of  December,  1799,  when  menaced  by  three  French 
Frigates." 

The  Underwriters  of  Lloyd's  Coffee-house  also  presented 
him  with  a  sum  of  money  and  an  elegant  silver  cup,  of  the 
value  of  ^200,  for  his  gallantry  in  defending  the  ship  Will 
against  the  French  privateer,  on  the  2ist  of  February,  1800. 

After  this,  Captain  Crow  commanded  the  Ceres,  a  fine 
frigate-built  ship  of  400  tons,  well  armed  and  manned.  One 
day,  at  Bonny,  King  Pepple  came  on  board,  flushed  with 
palm  wine,  and  began  to  boast  of  the  services  he  had 
rendered  to  Crow,  who  lay  in  great  pain  upon  a  mattress, 
unable  to  satisfy  the  king's  greed.  At  length,  Pepple 
worked  himself  into  such  a  rage,  that,  going  up  to  the 
captain  with  insulting  gestures,  he  began  to  utter  all 
manner  of  abuse  against  the  Isle  of  Man,  which  he  de- 
nounced as  little  and  despicable,  and  finally  roared  out  that 
Manxmen  were  a  miserable  race  of  people,  as  poor  as  rats, 
and  unable  to  support  a  king.  At  this,  Crow  sprang  up, 
seized  a  stick,  and  shouting  "You  villain  ;  how  dare  you 
abuse  my  country,"  followed  his  majesty  on  all  fours,  and 
fairly  chased  him  out  of  the  ship.  As  he  left  the  side,  the 
king  reiterated  "  Poor  boy  !  you  cant  havey  king."  They 
became  good  friends  afterwards. 


CAPTAIN  HUGH  CROW.  639 

In  December,  1806,  Captain  Crow  was  in  command  of 
the  slave-ship  Mary,  about  500  tons  burthen,  carrying  24 
long  nine-pounders  on  the  main  deck,  and  4  eighteen- 
pound  carronades  on  the  quarter  deck.  She  was  manned  by 
between  60  and  70  men,  36  of  whom  were  qualified  to  take 
the  wheel.  He  gives  an  amusing  description  of  his  pre- 
parations for  receiving  an  enemy  on  the  middle  passage  : — 

"It  was  my  constant  practice  to  keep  the  ship  in  a  state  of 
readiness  to  receive  any  enemy  we  might  chance  to  meet,  and 
particularly  when  we  drew  near  to  the  coast  of  Cayenne,  which 
I  had  learned,  by  dearly  bought  experience,  was  infested  by 
French  cruisers.  To  this  end  my  crew  were  frequently  trained  to 
work  the  great  guns  and  small  arms,  and  on  the  present  voyage 
I  selected  several  of  the  finest  of  the  black  men  to  join  them  in 
these  exercises,  as  well  as  in  passing  along  the  powder,  and  in 
other  minor  duties  that  might  become  requisite  in  the  hour  of 
action.  The  blacks,  who  were  very  proud  of  the  preferment, 
were  each  provided  with  a  pair  of  light  trowsers,  a  shirt,  and  a 
cap  ;  and  many  were  the  diverting  scenes  we  witnessed,  when 
they  were  in  a  morning  eagerly  employed  in  practising  firing  at 
empty  bottles,  slung  from  the  ends  of  the  yard  arms.  Being  but 
indifferent  marksmen  few  of  their  shots  took  effect;  and  the 
falling  countenances  of  those  who  had  just  missed  formed  a 
ludicrous  contrast  to  the  animated  features  of  the  next  sanguine 
competitors.  The  first  who  struck  a  bottle  was  presented  with 
a  dram  and  a  new  cap.  This  small  reward  excited  a  strong  emu- 
lation, and  the  morning's  sport  furnished  matter  of  exultation  to 
the  victors,  and  of  general  merriment  to  all  throughout  the  day. 

"Meantime  we  made  a  rapid  run  to  the  westward,  and 
though  my  confidence  in  my  crew  was  such  that  I  thought  very 
few  French  or  other  privateers,  or  even  sloops  of  war  could 
successfully  cope  with  us  singlehanded,  yet  as  I  one  day  paced 
the  quarter  deck  ruminating  on  the  chances  of  being  attacked 
by  probably  an  unequal  force,  a  project  came  into  my  head  for 
the  greater  annoyance  and  destruction  of  an  enemy,  of  which  I 
determined,  if  occasion  required)  to  make  experiment.  Having 


640  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 

got  my  plan  to  bear  in  my  own  mind,  I  sent  for  the  gunner  and 
the  armourer,  who  were  both  clever  men,  and  having-  expressed 
to  them  the  great  satisfaction  I  had  all  along-  derived  from  the 
good  conduct  of  the  officers  and  crew,  I  informed  them  that  I 
had  before  had  two  actions  off  the  coast  of  Cayenne,  and  that 
as  there  was  a  probability  of  our  soon  falling  in  with  some 
powerful  French  privateers  from  that  quarter,  I  had  resolved, 
being  so  well  manned,  should  any  one  attack  us,  not  to  give 
them  much  chance  at  long  bowls,  but  to  slap  them  right  on 
board,  if  possible;  and  to  run  them  down  rather  than  expose 
the  lives  and  limbs  of  my  crew  by  a  long  action.  I  then  desired 
them  to  take  half-a-dozen  of  two-gallon  jars,  of  which  we  had 
a  number  on  board ;  and  first  to  put  about  two  quarts  of  powder 
into  each,  and  the  same  quantity  of  small  flints;  over  these  an 
additional  quantity  of  powder;  next  about  two  quarts  of  pepper, 
and  then  to  fill  up  with  powder  and  cork  them  up.  They  were 
finally  to  insert  a  tin  tube  with  a  good  match  through  the  middle 
of  the  cork,  to  cover  the  jars  with  canvas,  and  coat  them 
thickly  with  a  composition  of  powder,  brandy  and  brimstone. 
Each  jar  was  to  be  put  into  a  loose  sack  that  it  might  be  hauled 
up  into  either  top  when  wanted.  'And,'  I  concluded,  ad- 
dressing myself  to  the  armourer,  'as  you  are  the  strongest 
man  in  the  ship,  your  station  will  be  in  one  of  the  tops,  with  a 
lighted  match,  so  that  you  may,  on  the  word  being  given,  heave 
these  destructive  jars  right  on  board  of  any  enemy  that  may 
dare  to  come  to  close  quarters.'  The  gunner,  on  hearing  these 
injunctions,  exclaimed — -'Sir,  I  have  seen  a  deal  of  service  both 
in  men-of-war  and  in  privateers,  but  I  never  heard  of,  or  saw, 
so  deadly  a  contrivance  before ;  and  if  any  French  or  Spanish 
privateers  venture  to  come  alongside  of  us,  they  will  never  be 
able  to  get  away  again.'  He  did  not  probably  exaggerate  the 
effects  of  these  infernal  bombs  if  thrown  upon  the  crowded  deck 
of  an  enemy's  vessel ;  for  as  the  jars  would  burst  into  sharp  and 
irregular  fragments,  they  would  cut  and  mangle  with  as  much 
execution  as  the  flints;  and  the  burning  pepper,  which  was  to 
be  kept  in  a  blaze  by  the  combustible  covering,  no  one  could 
abide  in  the  heat  of  action.  This  contrivance  was,  I  confess, 


CAPTAIN  HUGH  CROW.  641 

destructive,  if  not  wicked;  but  when  I  recurred  to  the  horrors 
of  a  French  prison,  I  should  not  have  hesitated,  rather  than  run 
the  hazard  of  undergoing-  a  repetition  of  my  sufferings,  and  in- 
volving my  crew  in  a  similar  misfortune,  to  resort  even  to  more 
desperate  means  of  disabling  an  enemy,  if  occasion  required." 

He  had  not  long  to  wait  for  an  opportunity  to  prove  the 
mettle  of  his  crew.  On  the  ist  of  December,  while  they 
were  running  down  with  studding  sails  set  in  the  latitude  of 
Tobago,  he  saw  two  sail  which  with  the  help  of  the  glass  he 
took  to  be  powerful  vessels  of  war,  and  as  they  were 
crossing  the  very  ground  where  French  cruisers  often 
attempted  to  intercept  British  ships  bound  to  the  West 
Indies,  he  judged  they  came  from  Cayenne,  and  tried  to 
avoid  them.  They  both  tacked,  and  gave  chase  under  a 
heavy  press  of  canvas.  The  Mary  and  her  crew  were  a 
match  for  any  single  cruiser,  but  the  captain  did  not  want 
to  fight  two.  Night  coming  on,  Captain  Crow  called  all 
hands  to  quarters,  and  addressing  his  men  in  a  rousing 
speech,  said  he  was  determined  that  rather  than  be  taken 
and  sent  to  a  French  prison,  he  would  defend  the  ship  to 
the  last,  and  go  down  with  her  sooner  than  strike.  To  a 
man  they  promised  to  stick  by  him.  "  Commend  your- 
selves, my  brave  fellows,  to  the  care  of  Providence,"  said 
the  captain.  "Let  us  have  no  cursing  or  swearing,  but 
stand  to  your  quarters,  and  such  is  my  opinion  of  your 
abilities  and  courage  that  I  have  no  doubt  but  that,  should 
even  both  vessels  attack  us,  we  shall  triumphantly  beat 
them  off;  and  woe  be  to  them  if  they  attempt  to  board  us." 
They  were  not  long  left  in  that  silent  and  intense  anxiety 
that  immediately  precedes  an  engagement  at  sea,  for  the 
captain  had  scarcely  done  speaking  when  one  of  the  vessels 
loomed  large  in  the  obscurity  astern,  and  hailed  him  in 
English — an  old  French  trick,  and  ordered  him  to  bring  to  ; 
and  soon  after  her  consort  came  up  and  made  the  same 
demand.  To  both  Captain  Crow  coolly  replied  that  he  was 

2S 


642  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 

the  Rambler  off  a  cruise,  and  that  no  strange  vessel  should 
bring  him  to  in  those  seas  in  the  night.  The  ships  again 
hailed,  but  the  gabble  of  the  sea  and  the  bustle  on  board 
made  it  impossible  to  detect  whether  the  words  were  spoken 
with  a  foreign  accent  or  not.  Captain  Crow  had  made  up 
his  mind  that  they  were  French,  and  that  was  enough.  One 
of  the  vessels  rounded  to  and  poured  a  broadside  into  him, 
and  he  fought  her  at  close  quarters  for  some  time.  She 
then  took  her  station  at  some  distance,  and  they  fought  for 
another  half-hour,  when  her  consort  came  up  on  the  Mary's 
larboard  side;  both  vessels  closed,  and  simultaneously 
attacked  the  Mary.  Captain  Crow  animated  his  men,  who 
blazed  away  with  right  good  will  in  the  pitchy  darkness, 
which  hid  from  them  the  fact  that  their  captain  was 
partially  disabled  by  a  violent  blow  from  a  splinter.  They 
soon  grew  callous  to  the  flashing  of  the  guns  on  both  sides  of 
them,  and  to  the  storm  of  balls.  For  a  moment  the  man  at 
the  wheel  deserted  his  post,  stunned  by  the  wind  of  a  large 
shot,  but  soon  flew  back  when  the  captain's  ringing  voice 
cried,  "What!  is  it  possible  we  have  a  coward  in  the 
Mary?"  Meanwhile  the  stout  armourer  was  stationed  in  the 
maintop  ready  to  fling  the  infernal  combustible  jars  on  the 
enemy  if  they  attempted  to  board.  Captain  Crow  was  here, 
and  there,  and  everywhere,  cheering  up  his  men,  who  boldly 
stood  to  their  quarters,  and  fought  like  heroes.  It  was 
now  past  midnight,  and  the  din  like  continued  peals 
of  thunder.  A  large  shot  entered  a  gun-port,  and  took  off 
both  the  boatswain's  thighs.  Another  entered  the  men's 
room  below,  and  wounded  a  great  number  of  blacks,  five 
of  whom  died  soon  after.  The  cries  of  the  dying  and  the 
wounded  were  pitiable,  and  aroused  the  spirit  of  vengeance 
in  the  seamen,  who  fought  like  demons.  After  an  action 
of  nearly  six  hours,  one  of  the  ships  dropped  astern, 
and  Captain  Crow  sung  out,  "  I  think,  my  brave  fellows, 
we  have  sickened  them  both,  and  your  names  will  be 


CAPTAIN  HUGH  CROW.  643 

honourably  mentioned  by  our  friends  in  Liverpool  for  your 
resolute  conduct  in  this  action."  The  men  wanted  to  give 
him  three  cheers,  but  he  sent  them  back  to  their  quarters. 
The  ship  again  came  up  and  resumed  the  action  as  fiercely 
as  ever.  The  Mary  continued  to  engage  both  vessels,  tooth 
and  nail,  until  the  grey  of  the  morning,  when  Captain  Crow 
was  struck  by  a  splinter  and  fell  senseless  on  the  deck. 
The  man  at  the  helm  sung  out  that  the  captain  was  killed, 
the  crew,  worn  out  by  fatigue,  lost  heart,  and  when  the 
captain  revived  he  found  that  the  colours  had  been  struck. 
Raising  himself  on  the  deck,  with  true  Viking  spirit,  he  en- 
treated them  to  hoist  the  colours  and  give  the  enemy  "  three 
or  four  more  broadsides  to  conclude  with."  His  hope  was 
that  "as  a  chance  shot  will  kill  the  devil,"  he  might  inflict 
an  injury  that  would  turn  the  scales  of  battle.  But  it  was  all 
in  vain,  the  force  of  the  enemy  was  now  seen  to  be  so  great 
that  further  resistance  would  have  been  madness.  The  captain 
was  carried  to  his  cabin  and  laid  on  a  mattress,  while  the 
crew  prepared  to  go  on  board  the  enemy's  vessels  as 
prisoners  of  war.  When  the  boats  came  alongside,  the  poor 
fellows  were  standing  at  the  gangway  ready  to  surrender, 
but  what  was  their  astonishment  when  they  found  that  those 
who  boarded  them  were  their  own  countrymen,  and  that  they 
had  been  all  the  while  fighting  two  British  men-of-war  ! 
One  was  the  Dart  sloop  of  war,  of  30  guns,  (thirty-two- 
pounders);  the  other  the  Wolverine,  of  18  guns,  of  the  same 
calibre.  This  was  astounding  intelligence  for  Captain  Crow, 
who,  in  his  anguish  and  vexation,  struck  his  head  several 
times  against  the  cabin  floor,  until  the  blood  started  from  his 
mouth  and  nostrils,  and  the  effects  of  which  never  quite 
left  him.  Friendly  hands  restrained  his  phrenzy,  and  a  flow 
of  tears  relieved  his  grief.  The  lieutenants  of  the  war  vessels 
consoled  him,  and  told  him  that  their  captains  were  as- 
tonished to  find  that  a  Liverpool  Guineaman  could  sustain 
an  action  of  seven  hours  with  so  superior  a  force.  They  had 


644  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 

mistaken  the  Mary  for  a  French  privateer.  Captain  Spear 
of  the  Dart,  presented  Captain  Crow  with  the  following 
csrtificate: — 

"  His  Majesty's  Sloop,  Dart,  at  sea, 
"  Dec.  ist,  1806. 

"I  do  hereby  certify  that  Hugh  Crow,  commanding  the 
ship  Mary,  of  Liverpool,  and  last  bound  from  the  coast  of 
Africa  with  slaves,  defended  his  ship  in  a  running'  action,  under 
the  fire  of  his  Majesty's  Sloop,  under  my  command,  and  also 
his  Majesty's  Sloop  Wolverine,  both  carrying  thirty-two 
pounders,  from  about  ten  p.m.  till  near  daylight  the  next 
morning,  in  a  most  gallant  manner  (supposing  us  French 
cruisers  from  Cayenne),  and  did  not  give  up  till  his  rigging 
and  sails  were  nearly  cut  to  pieces,  and  several  of  his  people* 
wounded.  Latitude  11°  27'  N.  ;  longitude  53°  W. 

(Signed,)  "JOSEPH  SPEAR,  Commander." 

When  the  slaves  came  to  know  that  Captain  Crow  was 
wounded,  and  that  he  had  been  fighting  friends  instead  of 
foes,  they  rushed  up  in  groups  from  below,  and  gathered 
round  him  in  the  cabin.  Some  of  them  took  hold  of  his 
hands,  others  of  his  feet,  and  on  their  knees  expressed  in 
their  own  way,  their  sorrow  for  the  unfortunate  affair,  offering 
him  their  rude,  but  sincere  condolence. 

The  Mary  made  the  land  of  Jamaica  in  a  few  days.  On 
passing  Port  Royal,  the  negroes  to  the  number  of  about 
400,  were  nearly  all  on  deck.  When  they  saw  the  bodies 
of  about  a  dozen  men-of-war's  men,  who  had  been  executed 
for  mutiny,  hanging  on  gibbets  and  in  chains,  and  some  in 
iron  cages,  on  the  low  lands  called  the  "Keys,"  they  became 
dreadfully  alarmed,  lest  they  should  be  sacrificed  in  the 
same  manner,  and  many  of  them  were  with  much  difficulty 
restrained  from  jumping  overboard.  Admiral  Dacres  sent 


*  Six  died  of  their  wounds.  It  is  worthy  of  note  that  from  the  afternoon  before 
the  action,  until  it  was  over,  the  crew  of  the  Alary  had  not  a  single  glass  of  spirits, 
nor  did  a  murmur  arise  on  that  account.  • 


CAPTAIN  HUGH  CROW.  645 

on  board  a  protection  from  impressment  for  all  the  crew. 
The  Captain's  friends  hastened  on  board  to  bid  him 
welcome;  the  cargo,  after  all,  was  fine  and  healthy,  and  was 
disposed  of  to  great  advantage  by  Mr.  Thomas  Aspinall. 

"  On  the  first  Sunday  after  our  arrival  at  Kingston,"  says 
Captain  Crow,  "a  circumstance  occurred  on  board  the  Mary, 
which  was  the  more  gratifying  to  me  as  it  was  entirely 
unexpected.  While  I  was  lying"  in  my  cot,  about  nine  o'clock 
in  the  morning,  Mr.  Scott,  my  chief  mate,  hurried  into  the 
cabin  and  said  '  Sir  !  a  great  number  of  black  men  and  women 
have  come  on  board,  all  dressed  in  their  best,  and  they  are 
very  anxious  to  see  you  ;  will  you  allow  them  to  come 
down?'  'By  all  means,'  said  I,  springing  up,  and  hastily 
putting  on  my  clothes  to  receive  them,  and  in  a  moment  they 
all  rushed  into  the  cabin,  and  crowding  round  me  with  gestures 
of  respect,  and  with  tears  in  their  eyes,  exclaiming — '  God 
bless  massa  !  how  poor  massa  do  ?  Long  live  massa,  for  'im 
da  fight  ebery  voyage  ' — and  similar  expressions  of  good  will 
and  welcome.  I  soon  recognised  these  kind  creatures  as 
having  been  with  me  in  one  or  other  of  the  actions  in  which  I 
had  been  engaged  on  former  voyages,  and  though  my 
attention  to  them  when  on  board  was  no  more  than  I  had 
always  considered  proper  and  humane,  I  was  deeply  affected  by 
this  mark  of  their  grateful  remembrance.  Poor  Scott  shed  tears 
when  he  saw  them  clinging  round  me,  and  observed,  '  How 
proud,  sir,  you  must  be  to  receive  this  grateful  tribute 
of  regard  !  and  how  few  captains  can  boast  of  a  similar 
proof  of  their  good  treatment  of  the  blacks  under  their 
charge.'  Indeed,  I  could  not  refrain  from  shedding  tears 
myself,  when  I  reflected  that  the  compliment  came  from 
poor  creatures  whom  I  had  brought  from  their  own  homes  on 
the  coast  of  Africa.  The  women  were  neatly  dressed  in 
calicoes  and  muslins.  Their  hair  was  tastefully  arranged, 
and  they  wore  long,  gold  earrings.  The  men  appeared  in 
white  shirts  and  trousers,  and  flashy  neckcloths,  with  their 
hair  neatly  plaited.  The  whole  were  at  once  clean  and 


646  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 

cheerful,  and  I  was  glad  from  my  heart  to  see  them.  When 
they  left  the  ship,  which  was  not  till  they  had  repeatedly 
expressed  their  happiness  to  see  me  again,  I  distributed 
amongst  them  a  sum  of  money,  and  they  bade  me  good  bye 
with  hearts  full  of  thankfulness  and  joy.  In  a  few  days 
afterwards  the  Governor  of  the  Colony  with  his  suite  did 
me  the  honour  to  pay  a  visit  on  board  the  Mary,  a 
compliment  seldom  known  to  be  paid  to  the  master  of  a 
merchant  ship." 

The  blacks  in  Jamaica  composed  a  song  in  honour  of 
Captain  Crow,  of  which  the  following  verses  are  a 
specimen  :— 

"  Captain  Crow  da  come  again, 

But  em  alway  fight  and  lose  some  mans, 

But  we  glad  for  see  em  now  and  den, 

Wit  em  hearty  joful  gay,  wit  em  hearty  joful  gay. 

Wit  em  tink  tink  tink  tink  tink  tink  ara. 

Wit  em  tink  tink  tink  tink  tink  tink  ara. 
But  we  glad  for  see  em  now  and  den 
Wit  em  hearty  joful  gay,  wit  em  hearty  joful  gay  ara." 
*         *         * 

"  But  did  you  eber  the  governor  see 

When  em  went  on  board  of  he. 

Den  em  say  Sir  Hugh  you  must  be, 

Wit  you  hearty  joful  gay,  wit  you  hearty  joful  gay. 

Wit  em  tink  tink  &c. 
Den  em  say  Sir  Hugh  you  must  be, 
Wit  you  hearty  joful  gay,  wit  you  hearty  joful  gay." 

Captain  Crow  did  not  forget  to  visit  daily  the  poor 
wounded  sailors  in  the  hospital,  several  of  whom  died.  "  It 
was  a  consolation  to  me,"  he  observes,  "to  be  informed 
that,  even  in  the  height  of  their  sufferings,  they  frequently 
mentioned  my  name  in  terms  of  attachment  and  respect. 
The  captain  was  one  day  met  by  a  fine  young  black,  who  in 
a  very  polite  manner  accosted  him  ;  "  Cappy  Crow,  how 


CAPTAIN  HUGH  CROW.  647 

you  do?"  "I  do  not  know  you,  boy,"  said  the  captain. 
"Cappy  Crow,"  rejoined  the  negro,  "me  sabby  you  bery 
well!"  "When  and  where  did  you  know  me?"  demanded 
the  skipper.  "  Me  sabby  you  very  much  when  you  live 
for  you  ship  for  big  water — when  you  look  ebery  day  wit 
crooked  tick  for  find  da  pass  ;"  meaning,  he  knew  the 
captain  when  he  was  on  board  the  slave-ship  at  sea,  when 
he  took  daily  observations  with  the  quadrant  to  find  out  the 
way.  After  a  little  conversation,  Crow  gave  him  some 
money,  and  away  he  went,  delighted  with  the  present  and 
the  condescension  of  the  captain. 

Captain  Crow  tells  a  humorous  story  of  a  monkey,  who 
wanted  to  take  command  of  the  Mary,  showing  that  the 
middle  passage  had  its  comedies  as  well  as  its  tragedies:— 

"During  my  last  visit  to  Bonny,  I  had  purchased  a  monkey 
of  the  largest  size,  which  was  a  source  of  amusement,  but  more 
frequently  of  annoyance  on  board  of  the  Mary.  This  fellow  at- 
tached himself  particularly  to  me,  and  as  he  constantly  kept  at 
my  side,  considering  me  no  doubt  his  protector  in  his  new  mode 
of  life,  we  became  in  a  short  time  pretty  well  acquainted.  He 
was  uncommonly  expert  in  imitating  any  thing  he  saw  done, 
particularly  if  it  were  mischievous.  Although  I  was  sometimes 
obliged  to  check  his  propensity  to  evil  doing,  we  for  some  weeks 
continued  to  maintain  a  mutual  good  understanding  as  ship- 
mates. But  the  best  of  friends,  alas  !  will  sometimes  quarrel, 
and  so  it  was  with  us.  One  day  while  we  were  in  the  middle 
passage,  we  were  overtaken  by  a  squall,  and  while  I  was  busy 
ordering  sail  to  be  taken  in,  my  gentleman  snatched  the  speaking 
trumpet  from  my  mouth,  with  intent  no  doubt,  to  assist  me  by 
making  his  own  sort  of  noise  upon  it.  Jealous  of  my  prerog- 
ative I  insisted  upon  a  restoration  of  my  instrument  of  office — 
the  trumpet;  this  he  resisted,  and  a  scuffle  ensued,  which  ended 
in  my  being  obliged  to  knock  him  down  with  the  end  of  a  rope. 
Before  I  had  time  to  look  about  me,  the  fellow  sprang  at  my 
neck,  and  after  chattering  and  makingfaces  of  great  consequence, 


648  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 

he  bit  me  several  times.  This  was  beyond  endurance;  he  re- 
ceived a  drubbing,  which  made  him  so  outrageous  that  we  were 
obliged  to  chain  him.  It  appears  he  never  forgave  me  for  this 
infliction,  for  one  morning'  very  early,  whilst  I  was  lying  asleep, 
he  by  some  means  got  loose,  and  thirsting  for  revenge,  ran 
down  to  the  cabin,  where  mounting  the  table  near  my  cot,  he 
made  no  ceremony  in  pulling  off  the  whole  of  the  clothes  that 
covered  me,  and  that  with  such  alacrity  that  I  had  no  time  to 
stand  upon  the  defensive.  The  fellow  then  sprung  to  the  beaufet 
and  began,  as  fast  as  he  could,  to  pitch  the  wine  glasses  and 
tumblers,  and  whatever  else  he  could  lay  hold  of,  out  through 
the  cabin  windows.  The  steward,  at  length,  luckily  came  in, 
and  we  secured  him.  Owing  to  these  and  similar  pranks,  I  de- 
termined to  part  with  him,  and  a  few  days  after  we  arrived  at 
Kingston,  I  had  him  advertised  in  the  newspapers,  by  the  name 
of  Fine  Bone,  from  Bonny,  on  the  coast  of  Africa,  to  be  sold, 
for  high  crimes  and  misdemeanours.  Having  equipped  him  in 
a  jacket  and  trowsers  made  for  the  occasion  by  a  fashionable 
tailor,  and  a  cap  of  the  newest  cock,  he  was  on  the  day  appointed 
sent  on  shore  to  a  vendue  store,  where  several  hundreds  of  per- 
sons were  waiting,  brimful  of  curiosity,  to  see  what  kind  of  a 
being  he  was.  He  was  put  up  in  due  form,  and  after  a  good 
deal  of  merriment  among  the  bidders,  and  particularly  among 
the  Jew  gentlemen  present,  whom  he  seemed  to  scrutinize  with 
very  knowing  looks,  he  went  off  for  ^5  6s.  8d.  I  must  not  say, 
in  auctioneering  phrase,  that  he  was  'knocked  down'  for  that 
sum,  for  he  would  have  been  a  bold  man  who  would  have 
knocked  him  down,  unless  indeed  in  such  a  manner  as  to  give 
him  his  quietus.  For  myself,  I  did  not  venture  to  go  on  shore 
on  the  day  of  sale,  for  if  he  had  seen  me  in  the  street  he  would 
certainly  have  run  after  me,  and  claimed  the  privilege  of  an  old 
acquaintance  in  a  manner  more  earnest  than  welcome.  Next 
morning  the  wags  in  the  town  reported  that  they  had  seen  him, 
during  the  night,  at  West-street,  assisting  the  press-gang;  and 
others  gave  out  that  he  had  run  off  with  two  half  firkins  of 
butter  from  a  provision  store,  and  would  certainly  be  tried  and 
banished  the  colony  for  so  grave  an  offence." 


CAPTAIN  HUGH  CROW.  649 


Captain  Crow  sailed  from  Jamaica  in  March,  1807, 
arrived  in  Liverpool  on  the  2nd  of  May,  after  a  pleasant 
passage  of  five  weeks.  Here  he  favours  us  with  his  senti- 
ments on  the  new  bill. 

"  I  was  received  by  Mr.  Aspinall  with  his  usual  kindness 
and  hospitality.  We  however,  got  home  '  the  day  after  the 
fair,'  for  the  African  slave  trade  was  abolished  on  the  day 
preceding"  our  arrival.  The  abolition  was  a  severe  blow  for 
England,  and  particularly  as  it  affected  the  interests  of  the 
white  slaves  who  found  employment  in  the  trade.  It  has 
always  been  my  decided  opinion  that  the  traffic  in  negroes  is 
permitted  by  that  Providence  that  rules  over  all,  as  a  necessary 
evil,  and  that  it  ought  not  to  have  been  done  away  with  to 
humour  the  folly  or  the  fancy  of  a  set  of  people  who  knew  little 
or  nothing  about  the  subject.  One  thing  is  clear  ;  instead  of 
saving  any  of  the  poor  Africans  from  slavery,  these  pretended 
philanthropists  have  through  the  abolition,  been  the  (I  admit 
indirect]  cause  of  the  death  of  thousands  ;  for  they  have  caused 
the  trade  to  be  transferred  to  other  nations,  who  in  defiance  of 
all  that  our  cruisers  can  do  to  prevent  them,  carry  it  on  with 
a  cruelty  to  the  slaves,  and  a  disregard  of  their  comfort  and 
even  of  their  lives,  to  which  Englishmen  could  never  bring 
themselves  to  resort." 

Self-interest  evidently  blinded  him.  The  slave  trade,  like 
the  Rontgen  rays,  caused  an  obliquity  of  vision  when 
closely  followed. 

As  the  Mary  could  not  again  clear  out  for  an  African 
voyage,  Captain  Crow  took  command  of  the  Kitty's  Amelia, 
of  300  tons,  and  18  guns,  belonging  to  Mr.  Henry  Clarke, 
which  had  been  cleared  out  previous  to  the  passing  of  the  Abo- 
lition Bill.  Messrs.  Kerwen,  Woodman  &  Co.,  insurance 
brokers,  London,  wrote  to  Captain  Crow  that  they  would 
insure  his  commissions  from  Liverpool  to  Africa  at  15  gui- 
neas per  cent.,  adding,  "we  have  never  heard  greater  praise 
bestowed  on  any  commander  than  the  underwriters  in  general 


650  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 

have  expressed  in  consequence  of  your  very  gallant  behaviour, 
which  will  always  procure  their  decided  preference  to  what- 
ever vessel  you  sail  in."  The  Liverpool  underwriters  insured 
ship  and  cargo  at  the  same  rate,  which  was  5  per  cent,  lower 
than  the  usual  premium.  The  Kitty's  Amelia  sailed  on  the 
2yth  of  July,  1807,  with  a  crew  of  between  fifty  and  sixty 
men,  four  of  the  ablest  of  whom  were  soon  after  impressed, 
in  spite  of  their  protections,  by  H,  M.  frigate  Princess 
Charlotte,  Captain  Tobin.  Captain  Crow  had  three  com- 
missions, or  Letters  of  Marque,  but  although  he  chased  and 
boarded  several  vessels,  he  took  no  prizes.  They  arrived  at 
Bonny  after  a  passage  of  about  seven  weeks,  and  were 
immediately  boarded  by  his  Majesty,  King  Holiday,  who 
anxiously  enquired  if  it  was  true  that  Captain  Crow  was  in 
command  of  the  last  ship  that  would  come  to  Bonny  for 
negroes.  Captain  Crow  gives  a  curious  account  of  what 
passed  at  a  long  palaver.  The  King's  sentiments  regarding 
the  abolition  were  as  follows: — 

"Crow,"  he  remarked,  "you  and  me  sabby  each  other  long- 
time, and  me  know  you  tell  me  true  mouth  (speak  truth)  ;  for 
all  captains  come  to  river  tell  me  you  King-  and  you  big  mans 
stop  we  trade,  and  'spose  dat  true,  what  we  do?  For  you 
sabby  me  have  too  much  wife,  it  be  we  country  fash,  and  have 
too  much  child,  and  some  may  turn  big-  rogue  man,  all  same 
time  we  see  some  bad  white  man  for  some  you  ship,  and  we 
hear  too  much  white  man  grow  big  rogue  for  you  country. 
But  God  make  you  sabby  book  and  make  big  ship — den  you  sen 
you  bad  people  much  far  for  other  country,  and  we  hear  you  hang- 
much  people,  and  too  much  man  go  dead  for  you  warm  (war). 
But  God  make  we  black  (here  the  poor  fellow  shed  tears)  and 
we  no  sabby  book,  and  we  no  havy  head  for  make  ship  for  sen 
we  bad  mans  for  more  country,  and  we  law  is,  s'pose  some  of 
we  child  go  bad  and  we  no  can  sell  'em,  we  father  must  kill 
dem  own  child  ;  and  s'pose  trade  be  done  we  force  kill  too 
much  child  same  way.  But  we  tink  trade  no  stop,  for  all  we 


CAPTAIN  HUGH  CROW,  651 

Ju-ju-man  (the  priests)  tell  we  so,  for  dem  say  you  country 
no  can  niber  pass  God  A'mig'hty." 

The  last  words  he  repeated  several  times  ;  and  Captain 
Crow  thought  his  remarks  not  altogether  destitute  of  sense 
and  shrewdness. 

There  were  ten  or  twelve  vessels  waiting  for  slaves  at 
Bonny,  and  Captain  Crow  had  long  to  wait  for  his  turn. 
When  he  did  begin  to  trade,  a  misfortune  befell  him.  In 
the  hurry  of  fitting  out  the  vessel  at  Liverpool,  before  the 
passing  of  the  Abolition  Bill,  some  returned  goods  from  a 
former  voyage  (when  the  ship  was  sickly),  were  repacked  in 
damp  water  casks,  and  when  these  were  opened  at  Bonny,  a 
malignant  fever  and  dysentery  broke  out  amongst  the  crew. 
The  rotten  goods  were  thrown  overboard,  but  the  sickness 
retarded  the  slaving.  Terrible  storms  broke  over  the  vessel, 
and,  altogether,  the  voyage  of  the  last  slaver  was  attended 
with  misfortunes.  Lucky  was  it  for  the  owners  that  they 
had  Captain  Crow  at  the  helm.  Having  completed  his 
purchase,  he  sailed  from  Bonny  for  the  last  time,  with 
"as  fine  a  cargo  of  blacks,  as  had  ever  been  taken  from 
Africa,"  but  the  disease  baffled  the  skill  of  the  two  doctors, 
and  he  was  deeply  afflicted  to  see  both  whites  and  blacks 
dying  around  him  daily  at  an  alarming  rate.  They  put  into 
the  Portuguese  island  of  St.  Thomas,  to  recruit,  and  here 
Captain  Crow,  with  Captain  Toole,  also  of  Liverpool,  visited 
the  ruins  of  the  Bishop's  palace  and  saw  the  torture  chambers 
of  the  Inquisitors.  The  sick  having  recovered,  the  ship  re- 
sumed her  voyage  with  additional  passengers  in  the  shape  of 
several  monkeys  presented  by  the  Governor  to  Captain  Crow. 
They  had  not  been  long  at  sea  before  the  sickness  broke  out 
afresh,  both  whites  and  blacks  dying  daily.  The  death  of 
the  chief  mate  added  greatly  to  the  captain's  anxiety,  as  he 
feared  that  if  anything  happened  to  himself,  there  was  no  one 
left  on  board  capable  of  navigating  the  ship  to  port.  When 
they  were  in  this  trying  situation,  the  horrors  of  the  voyage 


6512  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 

were   intensified  by  an   accident,  which    we  shall   let   the 
captain  himself  relate: — 

"One  afternoon,  when  we  were  ten  or  twelve  hundred  miles 
from  any  land,  and  were  sailing-  at  the  rate  of  seven  or  eight 
knots,  the  alarm  was  given  that  the  ship  was  on  fire,  in  the 
afterhold.  I  was  in  the  cabin  at  the  time,  and  springing-  upon 
deck,  the  first  persons  I  saw  were  two  young  men  with  their 
flannel  shirts  blazing  on  their  backs ;  at  the  same  time  I  perceived 
a  dense  cloud  of  smoke  issuing  from  below,  and  looking  round 
me  I  found  the  people  in  the  act  of  cutting  away  the  stern  and 
quarter  boats,  that  they  might  abandon  the  vessel.  At  this 
critical  juncture,  I  had  the  presence  of  mind  to  exclaim,  in  an 
animating  tone,  'Is  it  possible,  my  lads,  that  you  can  desert  me 
at  a  moment  when  it  is  your  bounden  duty,  as  men,  to  assist 
me?'  And  observing  them  hesitate,  I  added,  'Follow  me,  my 
brave  fellows,  and  we  shall  soon  save  the  ship.'  These  few 
words  had  the  desired  effect,  for  they  immediately  rallied,  and 
came  forward  to  assist  me.  To  show  them  a  proper  example 
I  was  the  first  man  to  venture  below,  for  I  thought  of  the  poor 
blacks  entrusted  to  my  care,  and  who  could  not  be  saved  in  the 
boats,  and  1  was  determined,  rather  than  desert  them,  to  ex- 
tinguish the  fire,  or  to  perish  in  the  attempt.  When  we  got 
below  we  found  the  fire  blazing  with  great  fury  on  the  starboard 
side,  and  as  it  was  known  to  the  crew  that  there  were  forty-five 
barrels  of  gunpowder  in  the  magazine,  within  about  three  feet 
only  of  the  fire,  it  required  every  possible  encouragement  on  my 
part  to  lead  them  on  to  endeavour  to  extinguish  the  rapidly 
increasing  flames.  When  I  first  saw  the  extent  of  the  confla- 
gration, and  thought  of  its  proximity  to  the  powder,  a  thrill  of 
despair  ran  through  my  whole  frame ;  but  by  a  strong  mental 
effort  I  suppressed  my  disheartening  feelings,  and  only  thought 
of  active  exertion,  unconnected  with  the  thought  of  imminent 
danger.  We  paused  for  a  moment,  struggling,  as  it  were,  to 
determine  how  to  proceed.  Very  fortunately  for  us  our  spare 
sails  were  stowed  close  at  hand.  These  were  dragged  out,  and 
by  extraordinary  activity  we  succeeded  in  throwing  them  over 


CAPTAIN  HUGH  CROW.  653 

the  flames  which  they  so  far  checked,  that  we  gained  time  to 
obtain  a  good  supply  of  water  down  the  hatchway,  and  in  the 
course  of  ten  or  fifteen  minutes,  by  favour  of  the  Almighty,  we 
extinguished  the  flames.  Had  I  hesitated  only  a  few  minutes 
on  deck,  or  had  I  not  spoken  encouragingly  to  the  people,  no 
exertions  whatever  could  have  saved  the  ship  from  being  blown 
up,  and  as  the  catastrophe  would  most  probably  have  taken 
place  before  the  hands  could  have  left  the  side  in  the  boats,  per- 
haps not  a  soul  would  have  survived  to  tell  the  tale.  I  hope, 
therefore,  I  shall  be  excused  in  assuming  to  myself  more  credit 
(if,  indeed,  credit  be  due)  for  the  presence  of  mind  by  which  I  was 
actuated  on  this  occasion,  than  for  anything  I  ever  did  in  the 
course  of  my  life.  The  accident,  I  found,  was  occasioned  by 
the  ignorance  and  carelessness  of  the  two  young  men,  whose 
clothes  I  had  seen  burning  on  their  backs ;  through  the  want 
of  regular  officers,  they  had  been  intrusted  to  draw  off  some 
rum  from  a  store  cask,  and  who,  not  knowing  the  danger  to 
which  they  exposed  themselves  and  the  ship,  had  taken  down 
a  lighted  candle,  a  spark  from  which  had  ignited  the  spirit." 

What  must  have  been  the  terror  and  sufferings  of  the 
slaves,  while  the  gallant  captain  and  his  true  men  fought  the 
flames?  He  goes  on  as  follows : — 

"I  shall  never  forget  the  scene  that  followed  the  suppression 
of  the  flames.  When  I  got  on  deck,  the  blacks,  both  men  and 
women,  clung  round  me  in  tears — some  taking  hold  of  my  hands, 
others  of  my  feet,  and  all,  with  much  earnestness  and  feeling, 
thanking  Providence  for  our  narrow  escape,  an  expression  of 
gratitude  in  which,  I  assure  the  reader,  I  heartily  joined  them." 

Truly  a  strange  slave-captain  is  this,  well-beloved  by  the 
very  people  he  is  carrying  to  perpetual  and  cruel  captivity; 
a  very  different  man  from  the  monster  depicted  by  Mont- 
gomery. But  we  must  remember  that  Captain  Hugh  Crow 
and  Captain  John  Newton  were  the  exceptions  that  prove 
the  rule.  Captain  Crow,  after  all  his  experiences  of  the 
horrors  of  the  middle  passage,  and  familiarity  with  many 


654  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 

sanguinary  engagements,  could  still  sympathise  with  a  sick 
monkey.* 

The  sickness  abated  as  they  neared  the  West  Indies, 
but,  on  their  arrival  at  Kingston,  after  a  passage  of  eight 
weeks  from  St.  Thomas's,  the  two  doctors  died,  and  the 
deaths  on  the  voyage  amounted  to  80  (30  whites  and 
50  blacks).  Captain  Crow,  who  had  always  prided  himself 
upon  keeping  a  clean  ship,  and  taking  the  bounty  for 
healthy  cargoes,  was  overwhelmed  with  grief,  but  he  found 
that  the  mortality  on  board  the  Kitty's  Amelia  was  only 
one-half  that  on  other  ships.  It  appeared  that  the  Liver- 
pool slave  trade  was  doomed  to  come  to  an  end  amid  death 
and  ruin  on  a  large  scale.  The  hurried  manner  in  which 
ships  had  been  sent  out  without  proper  cleansing,  and 
the  glutting  of  the  market  by  the  arrival  of  so  many 
vessels,  proved  almost  the  undoing  of  many  merchants.  At 
Kingston,  Captain  Crow  found  sixteen  slave-ships  which 
had  been  there  five  or  six  months,  their  cargoes  unsold,  and 
their  crews  and  slaves  daily  diminishing  through  deaths. 
This  was  a  dark  outlook,  but  the  good  luck  which 

*"On  this  passage,"  he  says,  "I  witnessed  a  remarkable  instance  of  animal 
sagacity  and  affection.  We  had  several  monkeys  on  board.  They  were  of  different 
species  and  sizes,  and  amongst  them  was  a  beautiful  little  creature,  the  body  of  which 
was  about  ten  inches  or  a  foot  in  length,  and  about  the  circumference  of  a  common 
drinking  glass.  It  was  of  a  glossy  black,  excepting  its  nose  and  the  end  of  its  tail, 
which  were  as  white  as  snow.  This  interesting  little  animal,  which,  when  I  received 
it  from  the  Governor  of  the  island  of  St.  Thomas,  diverted  me  by  its  innocent  gam- 
bols, became  afflicted  by  the  malady  which  yet,  unfortunately,  prevailed  in  the  ship. 
It  had  always  been  a  favourite  with  the  other  monkeys,  who  seemed  to  regard  it  as 
the  last  born,  and  the  pet  of  the  family;  and  they  granted  it  many  indulgences 
which  they  seldom  conceded  one  to  another.  It  was  very  tractable  and  gentle  in 
its  temper,  and  never,  as  spoiled  children  generally  do,  took  undue  advantage  of  this 
partiality  towards  it  by  becoming  peevish  and  headstrong.  From  the  moment  it 
was  taken  ill,  their  attention  and  care  of  it  were  redoubled,  and  it  was  truly  affecting 
and  interesting  to  see  with  what  anxiety  and  tenderness  they  tended  and  nursed  the 
little  creature.  A  struggle  frequently  ensued  amongst  them  for  priority  in  these 
offices  of  affection,  and  some  would  steal  one  thing  and  some  another,  which  they 
would  carry  to  it  untasted,  however  tempting  it  might  be  to  their  own  palates. 
Then  they  would  take  it  gently  up  in  their  fore  paws,  hug  it  to  their  breasts,  and  cry 
over  it  as  a  fond  mother  would  over  her  suffering  child.  The  little  creature  seemed 
sensible  of  their  assiduities,  but  it  was  wofully  overpowered  by  sickness.  It  would 
sometimes  come  to  me  and  look  me  pitifully  in  the  face,  and  moan  and  cry  like  an 
infant,  as  if  it  besought  me  to  give  it  relief;  and  we  did  everything  we  could  think 
of  to  restore  it  to  health,  but  in  spite  of  the  united  attentions  of  its  kindred  tribe  and 
ourselves,  the  interesting  little  creature  did  not  long  survive." 


CAPTAIN  HUGH  CROW.  G55 

usually  attended  Captain  Crow  did  not  fail  him  now.  His 
friends  inserted  a  paragraph  in  the  newspaper  stating  that 
Captain  Crow  had  arrived  with  the  finest  cargo  of  negroes 
ever  brought  to  Kingston.  The  puff  did  its  work,  and  in 
five  days  the  cargo  of  the  Kitty's  Amelia  had  been  sold  at 
higher  prices  than  those  obtained  by  any  other  ship.  In 
spite  of  the  disasters  and  sufferings  undergone,  the  voyage 
turned  out  very  profitable.  It  was  Sunday  morning  when 
Captain  Crow  landed  at  Kingston.  He  found  a  number  of 
his  black  friends,  all  neatly  dressed,  waiting  on  the  wharf 
to  receive  him.  They  crowded  round  him,  took  hold  of  his 
hands,  and  said,  "God  bless  massa  !  How  massa  do  dis 
voyage?  We  hope  massa  no  fight  'gen  dis  time."  While 
they  were  thus  congratulating  him,  another  black,  one  of 
their  party,  and  a  wag,  exclaimed,  "  Who  be  dis  Captain 
Crow  you  all  sabby  so  much  ?"  Then  the  rest  cried,  "What 
dat  you  say,  you  black  negro  ?  Ebery  dog  in  Kingston 
sabby  Captain  Crow,  and  you  bad  fellow  for  no  sabby 
him."  With  that  they  fell  to  and  beat  him  until  Captain 
Crow  interfered,  and  he  was  shrewd  enough  to  guess  that 
the  scene  had  been  contrived  before  hand.  Yet  he  was 
pleased  with  their  visit.  He  remained  behind  at  King- 
ston, to  transact  some  business,  taking  command  of  the 
King  George  schooner.  The  blacks  came  down  to  the 
wharf  at  night,  and,  hailing  the  schooner,  asked  for 
Captain  Crow.  When  he  made  his  appearance  on  deck 
they  used  to  sing  out,  "  Captain  Crow,  you  have  bery 
fine  ship  now — 'one  pole  and  half  ship,"  and  after  this 
humorous  sally  they  took  to  their  heels,  the  jolly  captain 
doubtless  pretending  to  be  highly  insulted. 

From  the  captain's  stand  point,  the  consequences  of  the 
abolition  of  the  slave  trade  were  pernicious  to  England  ;  it 
destroyed  her  nursery  of  seamen,  and  drove  her  young 
men,  whose  prospects  at  home  were  blighted,  into  the 
American  service,  where  they  afterwards  fought  against 


656  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 

their  own  country.  He  is  very  severe  on  the  abolitionists, 
or  "  pretenders  to  humanity,"  who  should  have  begun  their 
reforms  at  home.  "  Let  them  look  to  Ireland,"  he  says, 
"which  is  in  a  most  deplorable  state  of  slavery  and 
disaffection,  for  which  no  politician  has  yet  discovered  an 
adequate  remedy."* 

Captain  Crow  was  only  forty-three  years  of  age  when, 
in  1808,  he  retired  from  active  ^service,  having  made  a 
competent  fortune  by  commanding  several  of  the  "crack 
ships  "  out  of  the  port  of  Liverpool.  About  this  time,  his 
friend,  Admiral  Russel,  wrote  to  the  Rev.  Dr.  Kelly  :— 
"Tell  the  warlike  Crow  to  send  me  his  son,  that  I  may 
train  him  up  to  emulate  his  father."  Young  Crow,  a  very 
handsome,  amiable,  and  brave  boy  of  fifteen,  had,  however, 
been  taken  by  Captain  (afterwards  Sir  Robert)  Mends  on 
board  the  Arethusa  frigate.  "After  fixing  him,  as  I 
trusted,  permanently,"  says  Captain  Crow,  "  I  bore  up  for 
my  native  land,  the  Isle  of  Man,  thinking  to  moor  there  in 
peace  and  security  for  life."  He  bought  an  estate  near 
Ramsey,  where  he  resided  for  some  years,  engaged  in 
agricultural  pursuits  and  improvements  on  the  property. 

In  June,  1812,  he  was  "proposed  and  appointed  a 
member  of  the  House  of  Keys,"  but  declined  the  honour, 
wishing,  after  all  his  trials  and  hardships,  to  spend  the 
remainder  of  his  life  in  retirement.  His  heart,  too,  was 
well-nigh  broken  by  the  death  of  his  gallant  son,  who  had 
been  taken  by  the  French  in  one  of  the  ship's  boats,  while 
in  the  act  of  cutting  out  some  vessels  from  a  French 
harbour,  and  who  escaped  from  Verdun  in  a  very  daring 


*  When  Captain  Crow  wrote  those  words,  there  was  at  Oxford  a  Liverpool 
youth  of  rare  gifts,  who  was  destined  in  after  years  to  make  an  historic  effort  to 
pacify  Ireland,  not  with  the  iron  rod,  but  with  the  olive  branch  of  brotherhood  and 
friendship,  yet  he  failed  ;  with  all  his  wisdom,  learning,  eloquence,  ripe  experience, 
statesmanship  rarely  if  ever  excelled,  spotless  character,  and  immense  political 
influence,  this  great  lawgiver  of  our  time  failed  in  his  supreme  endeavour,  because 
the  majority  of  people  can  only  look  at  the  question  of  Ireland  as  Captain  Crow 
looked  at  the  slave  trade — from  one  side,  and  that  the  side  of  self. 


CAPTAIN  HUGH  CROW.  657 

manner,  but  contaminated  with  the  wickedness  and  de- 
bauchery of  the  prison.  On  the  way  to  join  the  Arethusa 
frigate,  the  lad  fell  into  bad  company,  and  enlisted  in  the 
gth  Light  Dragoons.  This  nearly  killed  his  tather.  The 
youth's  discharge  was  procured,  but  he  died  i  a  few  days 
after  at  Lisbon — of  a  broken  heart,  it  was  said, — thus  blast- 
ing the  captain's  fondest  hopes. 

Finding  life  in  the  Isle  of  Man  too  monotonous,  Captain 
Crow  returned  to  Liverpool  in  the  year  1817,  to  enjoy  the 
society  of  kindred  spirits,  his  favourite  haunts  being  the 
Lyceum  News  Room,  and  the  quays.  After  dinner,  he 
foregathered  with  his  cronies  in  the  African  trade,  when 
each  fought  his  battles  over  again,  but  such  was  the  dis- 
cipline among  this  knot  of  veterans  that,  at  one  of  their 
rendezvous,  the  striking  of  a  particular  hour  was  the  signal 
for  a  general  separation,  when  they  hurried  out,  helter 
skelter,  often  leaving  the  tale  half  told,  and  the  glass 
unfinished.  It  was  in  scenes  like  this  that  the  humour  and 
originality  of  Captain  Crow  were  seen  at  their  best,  rather 
than  in  his  writings. 

In  1827,  the  captain  went  to  live  in  apartments  at  Preston, 
in  a  lovely  spot,  which,  in  one  of  his  letters,  he  calls 
"  Paradise  Found."  Here  he  wrote  his  memoirs,  which  he 
regarded  as  "  one  of  the  first  things  of  the  kind  ever  got  up 
by  a  Manxman."  He  dearly  loved  the  "oilan,"  and  it  was 
his  constant  custom  when  his  ship  lay  at  Bonny,  to  show 
his  patriotism  on  holidays  by  hoisting  the  Manx  flag  at  the 
mast  head,  to  the  amusement  of  King  Pepple  and  the  chief 
men  there,  who  were  greatly  diverted  by  the  strange  device 
of  the  "  Three  Legs  of  Man." 

Captain  Crow  died  in  1829,  in  his  64th  year,  and  his 
remains  were  interred  in  the  burial  ground  of  his  ancestors 
in  Maughold  churchyard,  where  he  lies  entombed  with  his 
venerable  parents,  for  whom,  throughout  his  eventful  life, 
he  exhibited  the  strongest  affection  and  the  tenderest  care. 

2T 


658  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 

In  the  long  roll  of  Liverpool  slave-captains,  there  were, 
doubtless,  a  few  as  humane,  and  scores  as  brave  as  Hugh 
Crow  ;  but  when  we  attempt  to  realise  the  total  amount  of 
misery  and  injustice  which  they  and  their  employers  system- 
atically inflicted  upon  their  black  brethren,  for  the 
greater  part  of  a  century,  it  is  some  satisfaction  to  remember 
the  lines  of  one,*  whose  father  and  mother  died  while 
preaching  to  the  poor  slaves  in  the  West  Indies  the 
doctrine  of  another  and  a  better  world  : — 

"  When  the  loud  trumpet  of  eternal  doom 

Shall  break  the  mortal  bondage  of  the  tomb  ; 

When  with  the  mother's  pangs  the  expiring  earth 

Shall  bring  her  children  forth  to  second  birth  ; 

Then  shall  the  sea's  mysterious  caverns,  spread 

With  human  relics,  render  up  their  dead  : 

Though  warm  with  life  the  heaving  surges  glow, 

Where'er  the  winds  of  heaven  were  wont  to  blow, 

In  sevenfold  phalanx  shall  the  rallying  hosts 

Of  ocean-slumberers  join  their  wandering  ghosts, 

Along  the  melancholy  gulf,  that  roars 

From  Guinea  to  the  Caribbean  shores. 

Myriads  of  slaves  that  perish'd  on  the  way, 

From  age  to  age  the  sharks'  appointed  prey. 

By  livid  plagues,  by  lingering  tortures  slain, 

Or  headlong  plunged  alive  into  the  main, 

Shall  rise  in  judgment  from  their  gloomy  beds, 

And  call  down  vengeance  on  their  murderers'  heads !  " 


*James  Montgomery. 


659 


APPENDIX    No.    I. 

List  of  Vessels,  trading-  to  and  from  Liverpool,  Captured 
by  the  Spaniards  and  French  in  the  War  of  1739-1748. 
The  list  is  necessarily  incomplete  owing  to  the  circum- 
stances of  the  times: — 


Ship's  Name. 

Master's  Name. 

Voyage. 

Where  carried,  etc. 

Snow  Mary 

Benson 

Liverpool  to  Jamaica 

Porto  Rico 

St.  Michael 

John  Thompson 

Jamaica  to  Liverpool 

Plundered  off  Cape 

Antonio 

Unity 

Henan 

Do. 

St.  Sebastian 

Mar  &  Mary 

Wilcox 

Virginia  to  Liverpool 

Do. 

Thomas 

Murray 

Liverpool  to  Oporto 

Do. 

Endeavour 

Whaley 

,,         ,,  Lisbon 

Paniche 

Dove 

Lee 

,,          ,,  Africa 

Do. 

Priscilla 

Cullen 

,,         ,,  Antigua 

Do. 

Hannah 

Holmes 

Virginia  to  Liverpool 

Do. 

Three  Sisters 

Cardwell 

Jamaica  to  Liverpool 

Do. 

Philippa 

Dewhurst 

Liverpool  to  Gibraltar 

Vigo 

Byrne 

Walker 

Eiguera  to  Liverpool 

St.  Sebastian 

Blackamore 

Bradley 

Liverpool  to  Gibraltar 

Cadiz 

Sarah 

Idle 

Liverpool  to  London 

Helvoetsluys 

Betty 

Biddy 

,,   to  Cape  de  Verde 

St.  Sebastian 

Tryton 

Thompson 

,,    to  Leghorn 

Ceuta  and  Algevire 

Cape  Coast 
Swallow 

Green 
Hughes 

From  Liverpool 
Do.                    1 

Taken  on  the  Coast 
of  Africa  by  Span- 
ish Privateer 

Angola 

Jamaica  to  Liverpool 

Retaken 

Success 

Lewis 

Do. 

Leeward  Islands 

Jean 

Bradley 

Liverpool  to  Gibraltar 

Cadiz 

Ellen  &  Mary 

John  Simon 

From  Liverpool 

Ransomed  for47gs. 

Mary  &  Anne 

Rush 

Do. 

Taken   by   French 

privateer 

Stafford 

Perry 

Gottenburg  to  L'pool 

Ransomed  for  £22$ 

Stafford 

Perry 

Liverpool  to  London 

Havre  de  Grace 



Barnes 

Virginia  to  Liverpool 

Morlaix 

Mulberry 

Barton 

Jamaica  to  Liverpool 

Brest 

Martin 

Wilmot 

L'pool  for  Montserrat 

Taken  by  French 

Houghton 

Postlethwaite 

Liverpool  for  Antigua 

Martinico 

Thorn 

Carter 

L'pool  for  Harwich 

Havre  de  Grace 

Frith 



From  Liverpool 

in  a.  vie 
Do. 

M'Grieque 



Oporto  to  Liverpool 

St.  Malo 

Jane 

Hyth 

Liverpool  for  Virginia 

Ransomed 

Vine 

Walker 

Maryland  for  L'pool 

Do.  by  the  French 

Thomas 

Liverpool  for  Africa 

Rochelle 

660  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

APPENDIX  No.  I.— CONTINUED. 


Ship's  Name. 

Master's  Name. 

Voyage. 

Where  carried,  etc. 

Content 
Morecroft 
Mary 
Anne  &  Mary 
Lively 

Cooper 
Batty 
Godsalve 
Falkner 
Dwyer 
Clark 

L'pool  for  Barbadoes 
Do.   Leeward  Islands 
Liverpool  to  Lisbon 
Liverpool  to  Antigua 
,,          for  Africa 
,,       to  Colchester 
L'pool  and  Africa  for 
Jamaica 
Do. 
Do. 
From    Liverpool   (50 
guns,  400  men) 
From  Liverpool 
London  for  Liverpool 
Virginia  for  Liverpool 
L'pool  to  Philadelphia 
Jamaica  for  Liverpool 
L'pool  for  West  Indies 
,  ,      for  Tortola 
Maryland  for  L'pool 
Virginia  for  L'pool 
Liverpool  to  Jamaica 
London  for  Liverpool 
Liverpool  for  Oporto 
L'pool  and  Africa  for 
Jamaica 
L'pool  for  Rotterdam 
L'pool  for  St.  Kitts 
Liverpool  for  Africa 
New  York  for  L'pool 
Do. 
Liverpool  for  Leeward 
Islands 
Virginia  for  Liverpool 
Liverpool  for  St.  Kitts 
From  Liverpool 
L'pool  to  Barbadoes 
From  Liverpool 
For  Liverpool 
Liverpool  forGibraltar 
From  Liverpool 
Liverpool  to  Antigua 
Virginia  for  Liverpool 
Jamaica  for  Liverpool 
For  Liverpool 
Jamaica  for  Liverpool 
Konigsberg  for  L'pool 
L'pool  for  Carolina 

Virginia  to  Liverpool 
From  Liverpool 
Do. 
N.  Carolina  for  L'pool 

Martinico 
By  French  Privat'rs 
Dieppe 
Martinico 
Port  Louis 
Takenby  the  French 

Do. 
Do. 
Do. 

Do. 
Martinico 
Dunkirk 
St.  Malo 
Dunkirk 
Bayonne 
Retaken 
Do. 
St.  Malo 
Bayonne 
Bilbao 
St.  Malo 

Robert 

Hare 
Enterprise 
Black  Prince 

Two  Ships 
Recovery 
Two  Ships 
Dolphin 
Vernon 
Benson 
Bella 
Rosendale 
Cleveland 
Earl  of  Derby 
Fortune 
Pretty  Peggy 
Fortune 

Leopard 
Graham 
Fanny 
Brunswick 
Elizabeth 
Antigua  Packet 

Goodwill 
John  &  Thomas 
Diligence 
James 
Blackburne 
Elijah 
Black  Prince 
Mary 
Molly 
Blandenburg 
Defiance 
Susanna 
Bridget 
Anne 
Union  Galley 
Liverpool 
Merchant 
Anne 
Occupation 
North  Carolina 

Derbyshire 

Names  unknown 
Coates 
Names  unknown 
Postlethwaite 
Bannister 
Rawlinson 
Foster 
Hod  son 
Robinson 
Penkett 
Gardiner 
Rankin 
Green 

Williams 
Naylor 
Thompson 
Sturke 
Steward 
Gardiner 

Darby 
Brownhill 
Strong 
Matthews 
Robinson 
Hornby 
Woodhouse 
St.  Leger 
Clegg 
Lookerman 
Drape 
Pierce 
Norton 
Strong 
Frith 

Porto  Cavallo  (354 
slaves  on  board) 
Bergen 
Bilbao 
By  French  Privateer 
St.  Augustine 
Do. 

Martinico 
Bayonne 
By  French 

Martinico 

St.  Jean  de  Luz 
Rochelle 
Old  Gibraltar 
Ransomedfor^"6oo 
Bilbao 
Morlaix 
Dieppe 
Rans'm'dfor^i  100 
Rans'm'd  for  ^"400 
Ret  'k'n  with  1  2  ships 

Saunders 
Everard 

Havanna 

APPENDIX. 

APPENDIX  No.  I.— CONTINUED. 


661 


Ship's  Name. 

Master's  Name. 

Voyage. 

Where  carried,  etc. 

St.  George 
CharmingBetty 
Benson 
Anne  &  Mary 
Martha 
A  snow  &  a  brig 

Blackburn 
Sea  Nymph 
M  ary 
Benin 
Trygarn 
Mary  Anne 
Charmingje'ny 
Nancy 
Kings  of  Brent- 
ford 
The  Boss 
Qn.  of  Hungary 

Gray  son 
Barnes 
Brown 
Johnson 
Wilson 

Liverpool  to  Africa 
Liverpool  to  Jamaica 
Liverpool  for  Antigua 
Liverpool  to  Tortola 
From  Africa  to  St.  Kitts 
Liverpool  and  Africa 
to  America 
Africa  for  Jamaica 
Liverpool  for  Africa 
L'pool  to  Barbadoes 
Liverpool  for  Africa 
Liverpool  and  Africa 
Jamaica  for  Liverpool 
L'pool  for  Montserrat 
Liverpool  and  Africa 
Liverpool  for  Carolina 

St.  Malo 
Guadaloupe 
Do. 
Martinico 
Guadaloupe 

Do. 
San  Domingo 
Ransomed 
Martinico 
Do. 
St.  Jago  de  Cuba 
Do. 
Guadaloupe 
St.  Kitts 
By  Spanish  privat'r 

Robinson 
Whitesides 
Haynes 

Kaye 
Murthland 
Chivers 
Pemberton 

White 

L'pool  for  New  York 
Of  Liverpool 

Sunk    by     French 
[man-of-war 

APPENDIX  No.   II. 

The  Enterprize  Privateer,  Captain  James  Haslam,  com- 
mander. Cost  of  Outfit,  list  of  Officers,  &c.  September 
1779.*  The  Enterprize,  on  her  first  cruize,  was  manned  as 
follows: — 


Names. 

Stations. 

Wages 
$  Month. 

Cash  ad- 
vanced as 
a  Privateer 

Notes  and 
Cash  Paid. 

Total 
Advanced. 

£    s. 

£    s. 

£      s. 

£      s.    d. 

James  Haslam 

Captain 

0      0 

21       O 

0      0 

21      O     O 

fohn  Cotter 

1st  Lieutenant 

o    o 

9    o 

O     O 

9OO 

George  Pearson 

2nd        Do. 

o    o 

12    17 

O      O 

12    17      0 

James  Green 

3rd        Do. 

0      0 

8  10 

O      O 

8  10    o 

Sam  Robinson 

Sailing  Master 

o    o 

9    o 

o    o 

900 

Henry  Kermitt 

Master's  Mate 

o    o 

8    o 

o    o 

800 

John  Armstrong 

Do. 

0      0 

9    o 

2      2    W 

II     20 

Francis  Lake 

Prize  Master 

o    o 

9    o 

O      O 

900 

Henry  Barr 

Surgeon 

o    o 

IO    IO 

O      O 

10    10      0 

Rob.  Madgett 

Capt'n  Marines 

0      0 

10    10 

O      O 

10    IO      O 

James  CJowdy 

Do.     Mate 

o    o 

7     7 

O      O 

770 

John  Cooper 

Carpenter 

o    o 

IO      O 

0      0 

IO      O      O 

Carried  forward 

£o    o 

124  14 

2      2   W 

126  16    o 

'Summarised  from  the  original  accounts,  in  the  possession  of  —  Hampson, 
Esq.,  and  not  Mr.  Dixon,  as  stated  in  a  foot-note,  page  31.  Matter  was  kindly 
left  at  the  publisher's  by  both  these  gentlemen,  hence  the  error. 


662  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

APPENDIX    No.  II.— CONTINUED. 


Names. 

Stations. 

Wages 
<P  Month. 

Cash  ad- 
vanced as 
a  Privateer 

Notes  and           Total 
Cash  Paid.       Advanced. 

£    s. 

£     S. 

£      s. 

£    s     d. 

Francis  Gill 

Brought  forward 

C'rp'nt'r's  Mate 

o    o 
3  10 

124    14 
0      0 

2       2 

7    o 

126  16    o 
700 

Edward  Hodge 

Boatswain 

0      0 

ii     5 

O      O 

ii     50 

Henry  Cowet 

Do.     Mate 

3  15 

0      0 

7  10  w 

7  10    o 

Richard  Armstrong 
John  Sharpe      Run 

Gunner 

4    5 
o    o 

0      0 

o    o 

8  10  w 
7    o  w 

|i5  10    o 

John  Browne 

Do.     Mate 

3  15 

o    o 

7  10  w 

7  10    o 

David  Kenny 

Cook 

0      0 

7  10 

7  10 

7  10    o 

William  Mack 

Gunner's  Mate 

3  15 

0      0 

7  10  w 

7  10    o 

John  McCloud 

Do. 

3  15 

o    o 

7  10 

7  10    o 

Thomas  McDonald 

Cooper 

3    o 

0      0 

0      0 

600 

James  Armstrong 

Do.     Mate 

3    ° 

0      0 

0      0 

600 

Lewis  Hughes 

Prize  Master 

4  10 

0      0 

o    o 

900 

John  Maddock 

Quarter   Do. 

4    o 

o    o 

0      0 

800 

John  Hudson 

Do- 

3  IS 

0      0 

0      0 

7  10    o 

Morris  Jones 

Do. 

3  J5 

0      0 

o    o 

7  10    o 

Rob.  Wedgwood 

Do. 

3  15 

o    o 

7  10 

7  10    o 

William  Walton 

Armourer 

3  10 

o    o 

o    o 

700 

James  Morton 
John  Bryan 

Captain's  Clerk 
Ship's  Steward 

3    o 
3    o 

0      0 
0      0 

0      0 

o    o 

600 
600 

Robert  Yates 

Cabin     Do. 

3    o 

o    o 

o    o 

600 

Timothy  Lee 

Do.       Do. 

2  J5 

o    o 

0      0 

5  10    o 

Herbert  Davis 

Sailmaker 

3  15 

0      0 

7  10  w 

806 

Lans.  Devley  or  Boyle 

Boats'in's  Mate 

3  I0 

0      0 

o    o 

700 

20     Seamen  (@  6o/-  to  7o/-) 

58  10 

22    IO 

28    o 

143     2     6 

6   f     Do.     (@  4S/-  to  6s/-)       ... 

17  10 

0      0 

0      0 

4i   15     9 

13  4    Do.    (@  as/-  to  so/-)      ... 

28  10 

0      0 

2       8 

57     3    ° 

9   J     Do.     (@  20  to  40/-) 

14  10 

0      0 

o    o 

30  10    o 

18  Landsmen  (@  2O/-  to  4O/-) 

29  10 

3  10 

4    o 

62    7  10 

3  Boys  and  3  Apprentices 

I  15 

3    3 

0      0 

15     7  io£ 

£\22l       5 

172    12 

III    IO 

645    8    54 

Tradesmen's  Notes  for  the  Enterprize  Outfits. 

ist.  Cruise. 

2nd.  Cruise. 

3rd.  Cruise. 

£    s.    d. 

£    s.     d. 

£     s.      d. 

Henry  Clarkson,  Boards,  Sawing,  etc. 

I      7      0 

3    M      0 

14  14    6 

James  Aspinall,  Glazier 

240 

o  16    6 

18     i     o 

John  Parr,  Arms 

15     5     4 

190 

II    II       0 

James  Leigh,  Medicines 

12  13    9 

349 

14  ii     o 

William  Earle  &  Son,  Iron  Work 

36    4    8 

II     12       6 

o     o     o 

Robert  Tyrer,  Joiner    ... 

3  15     6 

O      0      0 

000 

Thomas  Staniforth,  Cordage    ... 

64    3    o 

6  16    o 

221    IO      6 

William  Neale,  Blockmaker    ... 

10  18    o 

6  18    6 

18  ii     9 

George  Worrall,  Painter 

12    II      8 

075 

13     3     ° 

Hulton  &  Foxcroft,  Brandy     ... 

000 

41   18    o 

o    o    o 

Carried  forward    £ 

159      2    II 

76  16    8 

312     2     9 

APPENDIX. 


663 


APPENDIX  No.   II.— CONTINUED. 


Tradesmen's  Notes  for  the  Enterprize  Outfits. 

ist.   Cruise. 

2nd.  Cruise. 

3rd.  Cruise. 

£      s.    d. 

£    s.    d. 

£      s.    d. 

Brought  forward 

159      2   II 

76  16    8 

312     2     9 

Anthony   Mollineux,   Brazier,    Copper 

Nails,  &c.  ... 

660 

i     5  10 

ic.     A     5 

Edgar  Corrie  &  Compy.  ,  Bottled  Beer 

13  10    o 

4  19    o 

J          T-          w 

16     2    4 

Edward  Grayson,  Carpenter    ... 

9  17     o 

ii     70 

000 

James  Carruthers,  Cooper 

24     i     o 

3  ii     4 

30  17    o 

Joseph  Matthews,  Sailmaker  ... 

58       I       0 

23  16    o 

84  19    7 

John  Kaye,  Slops 

20    4    o 

9  16    o 

O      O      0 

Joseph  Yates,  Grocer    ... 

24    2     6 

3  ii     2 
o  ii     8 

J24      2    10 

Peter  Rigby  &  Sons,  Iron  Hoops 

2  19    4 

000 

8  13     2 

*Egerton  Smith,  "Stationary" 

7  12     9 

129 

308 

John  Eaton,  Cartage    ... 

4     5  n 

o  19    9 

7    8  10 

Thomas  Ryan,  Wine    ... 

7  19    3 

o    o    o 

6  15     4 

Baker  &  Dawson,  Rum 

95    4    5 

o    o    o 

o    o    o 

Captain  Haslam,  Mr.  Dillon,  and  Mr. 

Carruthers'       disbursements      at 

Whitehaven 

126    6    5 

0      O      0 

16    3    o 

Paid   for  Seamen  going   to  and  from 

Whitehaven  and  Chester 

29  18    6 

o    o    o 

770 

Crimpage,  shipping  seamen  and  board 

wages,  pilotage  and  boatage 

46    8    2 

28  19    o 

17  ii     8 

Paid  Carpenters,    Joiners,    riggers,  la- 

bourers, &c. 

48    o    8 

II     12      4 

176  16    6 

Alex.  Anderson,  French  and  Spanish 

Commissions,  &c. 

41   17     4 

o    o    o 

o    o    o 

Mathew  Ligoe  and  Wm.   Corf,   Fresh 

Beef 

6  1       A.      O 

72     8    o 

47     0     6 

Jas.  Johnson  and  John  Coleman,  Bread 

135     3     3 

21   19     4 

if/            ~y           v 

68  19    4 

Dillon  &  Leyland,  Beef,  Pork,  &c.    ... 

290  19    o 

o    o    o 

237    5    9 

Cazneau  &  Marlin  and  David  Shannon, 

Pork          

-11       ^      2 

o    o    o 

48    o    o 

Cheese,    flour,    pease,    barley,    butter, 

T^ 

potatoes,     greens,     fowls,     fish, 

candles,  water,  salt,  coals 

87  10    8 

15  12    6 

69    6    6 

Poles,      white      cooperage,      glasses, 

hoops,  priming,  powder,  cVc.     ... 

14  18    4 

7  ii  10 

33  H    4 

Pitch,    tar,   oil,  ballast,  graving  dock, 

boats,  cables 

28     2     6 

58  19  10 

40    3     6 

Gill    Slater  and  Francis  Holt  &  Co., 

Anchors    ... 

o    o    o 

o    o    o 

27  13    9 

Earle  <S:  Molyneux,  Ironwork  ... 

000 

0      O      O 

68  14    8 

Grayson  &  Ross,  Carpenters   ... 

o    o    o 

0      O      0 

162  15     o 

John  Clowes  &  Co.,  Copper  Sheathing 

o    o    o 

000 

II    12      9 

Warrington  Copper  and  Brass  Co.,  Do. 

000 

o    o    o 

46  18    4 

John  Sparling,  Rum 

o    o    o 

000 

169  14    3 

Miscellaneous  expenses 

072 

i  19    3 

49  13    9 

Gratuity  to  Seamen's  mothers  impressed 

o    o    o 

2      2      O 

O      0      O 

Seamen's  advance  wages,  first  cruise  .  .  . 

645    8    54 

000 

o    o    o 

Joseph  Rath  bone,  Shot 

000 

13      2      4 

0     O     O 

Carried  foi-ward  £ 

2033  13    84 

372    3    7 

1809    6    7 

h  Father  of  the  founder  of  the  Liverpool  Mercttiy. 


664 


THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

APPENDIX  No.  II.— CONTINUED. 


Tradesmen's  Notes  for  the  Enterprize  Outfits. 

ist. 

Cruise. 

and. 

Cruise. 

3rd. 

Cruise. 

£ 

s. 

d. 

£ 

s. 

d. 

£ 

s. 

d. 

Brought  forward 

2033 

13 

8i 

372 

3 

7 

1809 

6 

7 

John  Stanton  &  Son,  Gunpowder 

o 

O 

o 

20 

ii 

3 

14 

12 

7 

Jos.   Brookes,  Junr.,  Gunpowder,  Tur- 

pentine, and  Oakum  £14  10  10  ) 

Less  paid  Sailor  for  Spy- 

o 

O 

o 

13 

9 

IO 

0 

O 

o 

ing  the  Prize          ...     £i     I     o  ) 

Paid  Seamen's  Advance  Wages,  Third 

Cruise 

o 

o 

o 

o 

o 

o 

rgq 

c 

o 

EXPENCES  ON  FRENCH  PRISONERS. 

j^y 

j 

To  Paid  Seddan  Chair  for  the  French 

Captain 

o 

o 

o 

0 

3 

o 

O 

O 

o 

,,            Madam  Pennant's  Board    ... 

o 

0 

o 

2 

12 

6 

O 

O 

o 

,,          John   Carver,  Cloths  for  the 

2nd  Captain  ... 

o 

o 

o 

4 

3 

5 

O 

0 

o 

,,          Tho:  ceyers,  making  Do.  Do. 

o 

o 

o 

O 

1  6 

o 

O 

o 

o 

,,          Present  to  2nd  Captain 

o 

o 

o 

10 

10 

0 

0 

o 

o 

,  ,          Ditto  to  the  Captain  ... 

o 

0 

o 

10 

IO 

o 

0 

o 

o 

,  ,          Jas.  Leigh,  Medicines,  Captain 

0 

o 

o 

I 

10 

o 

o 

o 

o 

,,          John      Gladhill,      Prisoners' 

Board 

o 

o 

o 

23 

I 

8 

o 

o 

o 

,,          John   Glover,    ditto,  and  his 

trouble 

0 

o 

o 

6 

6 

o 

0 

c 

o 

,,          A  present   to  passenger    Mr. 

Page,  and  his  board 

o 

o 

0 

ii 

3 

8 

o 

o 

o 

,,          John  Kaye,  shirts  and  cloths 

for  Sundrys  ... 

o 

o 

o 

7 

12 

3 

o 

o 

o 

,,          Present  to  the  Dispensary    ... 

0 

0 

o 

21 

O 

o 

o 

o 

o 

Seamen's      advance     Wages,     second 

cruise 

o 

o 

o 

67 

A 

o 

r> 

o 

o 

£ 

^J 

*r 

2033 

13 

8J 

568 

17 

2 

2413 

4 

2 

TOTAL 

OUTFITS. 

A  LIST  OF  THE 

OWNERS  :  — 

First  Cruise 
Second  Do. 
Third     Do.      ... 

£     s.      d. 
•••  2033  13     8£ 

...       568    17       2 

...  2413     4     2 

Thomas  Earle 
Edgar  Corrie  .  .  . 
Francis  Ingram 
William  Earle 

.  .  :i/i6  the  above 

2/ 

"  !(16         " 

Value  of  the  Ship 

^•5015  15    oi 
...  2050    o    o 

Dillon  &  Leyland 
Peter  Freeland 
Thomas  Eagles 

::•/"    :: 

Edward  Chaffers 

*/.- 

£7065  15    °i 

James  Carruthers 

ii  . 

William  Denison 

••  Y,«       ," 

APPENDIX. 


665 


APPENDIX  No.   III. 

List  of  Vessels  trading  to  and  from  Liverpool,  Captured 
by  the  Enemy  during  the  Seven  Years'  War,  1756-1763. 


Ship's  Name. 

Master's  Name. 

Voyage. 

By  whom  taken,  and 
where  carried. 

York 

Betty 
Mary 
Landovery 
Annabella 
Fanny 
True  Love 
Happy  Return 

Fowkes 

Logan 
Richmond 
Johnston 
Settle 
Henderwell 
King 

Jamaica  to  Liverpool 

L'pool  for  Philadelphia 
Do.         Virginia 
Do.         Jamaica 
From  Cape  Fear 
Lyme  for  Liverpool 
Do. 
L'pool  for  Carolina 
Maryland  for  L'pool 
Rye  for  Liverpool 

Saloe  for  Liverpool 
N.  Yarmouth  for  L'pool 
From  Africa 
L'pool  for  Barbadoes 
Liverpool  for  London 
Dartmouth  to  L'pool 
Malaga  for  Liverpool 
L'pool  for  New  York 
Liverpool  for  Boston 
Liverpool  for  Gambia 
L'pool  for  Barbadoes 
L'pool  for  Jamaica 
Do.     Africa,  &c. 
Do.           Do. 
Do.           Do. 
Maryland  for  L'pool 
Barcelona  for  L'pool 
From  Liverpool 
L'pool  for  New  York 
Do. 
L'pool  for  Jamaica 
L'pool  and  Africa  for 
Jamaica  with  87  slaves 
Do.     with  1  70  slaves 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
St.  Pel'rsb'rg  f  r  L'pool 
Jamaica  for  L'pool 
Do. 
From  Liverpool 
Liverpool  for  Africa 
From  Liverpool 

L'pool  for  Jamaica 

Retaken  by  Guern- 
sey Privateer 
Cape  Breton 

France 
Morlaix 
Havre 
Do 
Bayonne 
Do. 
By  French  in  Rom- 
ney  Bay 
Marseilles 
Boulogne 
Martinico 
Do. 
Havre 
Dieppe 
Malaga 
ByB'rdeau  Priv't'er 
Brest 
Bayonne 
Do. 
Guadaloupe 
On  Coast  of  Africa 

Fisher 
Ford 

Winter 
Martin 
Nichols 
Holme 
Hornby 
Isaac  Winn 
Printon 

Anne 

Orrell 
Hougwart 
Schemer 
Austin 
Margaretta 
Dolly  &  Nancy 
Mary 
York 
Fal  mouth 
Grampus 
Lady  Strange 
Snow  Hesketh 
Eliz'b'th&M'ry 
King  George 
Ogden 
Lloyd 
Lady  Charlotte 
Anson  Privateer 
Crown  Point 
Patterson 
Success 
Ouester 

Cavendish 

The  Pickering 
Two  Snows 
Hankinson 
Ellis 
A  Snow 
Eliza 
Swan 
A  Brig 

Adventure 

Pole 
Corbett 
Harrison 
Thos.  Onslow 
Caruthers 
Jackson 
Lawson 
Sweeting 
Oakes 
Cuthbert 
Lawrence 
Cole 
Catterwood 
Potter 

Jones 

Cape  Breton 
ByPt.  MahonPr'te'r 
Rochefort 
Norway 
Bayonne 
Dieppe 

St.  Eustatia 
Guadaloupe 
On  Coast  of  Guinea 
Guadaloupe 
Do. 
Norway 
Taken  by  the  French 
St.  Jean  de  Luz 
Cadiz 
By  the  French 
Do.   on  the  Coast 
of  Africa 
Port  Louis 

(Names  unknown) 
Dodgson 
Simpson 

Parker 
Cowan 
Barnes 

Geo.  Washington 

666 


THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 


APPENDIX  No.  III.— CONTINUED. 


Ship's  Name. 

Master's  Name.                        Voyage. 

By  whom  taken  and 
where  carried,  etc. 

Whidah 

Hammill                   Liverpool  for  Africa 

By  the  Mauchault 

Salisbury 

Key                                 Do.         Do. 

privateer   of  24 

guns,  &  300  men, 

from  Granville 

A  Schooner 

Hendrickson            From  Liverpool 

By  the  French 

Adlington 

Frierson                    L'pool  for  Barbadoes 

Retak'n  by  Guerns'y 

Privateer 

Henry 

Bond 

Do.            Do. 

Martinico 

Leghorn  Trader 
Ch'rm'ngRach'l 

Hooper 
Scott 

Leghorn  to  Liverpool 
New  York  for  L;pool 

Dieppe 
By  Louisburg  Pr't'rs 

Marshall 

Virginia  for  Liverpool 

Do.         Do. 

Pemberton 

W'lt'rKirkpatricki  L'pool  for  Africa,  &c. 

Bayonne 

Aurora 

Josiah  Wilson 

Do. 

A  Ship 

L'pool  for  Jamaica 

By  French  Priv'te'r 

T")ri}orm 

Do.    St.  Petersburg 

Do.  and  Ransomed 

Hopewell 

Ford 

Arundel    for   L'pool, 

with  Corn 

France 

Success 

Clare 

Liverpool  to  Leeward 

Islands 

Guadaloupe 

Phcenix 

Nobler 

L'pool  for  Africa,  &c. 

By  negroes  on  the 

Coast,  &  set  on  fire 

Snow  Betty 

Win.  Creevey 

Do.       Gambia 

Sunk  by  the  French 

Betty  &  Peggy     Hollingsworth 

Stockholm  for  L'pool 

Dunkirk 

Henry 

Thornton 

Virginia  for  L'pool 

By  Belleisle  Pr'te'r 

Judith 

Hayes 

L'pool  and  Africa  for 

America 

Granada 

Molly 

Timothy  Wheel- 

From  Windward  and 

Wright 

Gold  Coast 

By  the  French 

John 

Peter  Gibson 

Liverpool  to  Virginia 

Port  Louis 

Rose 

Bashaw 

Do.     for  Tortola 

Martinico 

Betsey 

Watt 

Do.     for  Virginia 

Quebec 

Biddy 

Hamilton 

Fr'm  Windward  Coast 

of  Africa 

Guadaloupe 

Charming  Betty    Colley 

Do.             Do. 

Do. 

Salisbury 

John  Sacheverell 

From  the  Cameroons, 

with  slaves 

Do. 

Lievsley 

T.  Onslow 

From    Calabar,  with 

323   slaves,   2  tons 

of  teeth  and  other 

goods 

Do. 

Nelly 

Hickhins 

Taken  by  French 

Providence 

Clare 

From  Liverpool 

Do.     Do.     in  the 

West  Indies 

Defiance 

Campbell 

L'pool  for  Africa,  &c. 

America 

Nicholson 

L'pool  for  the  Baltic 

Christiansund 

Catherine 

Seth  Houghton 

L'pool  for  Montserrat 

Vigo 

Granville 

Spears 

From  North  Carolina 

Ransomed  for  ^500 

Perfect 

Potter 

L'pool  and  Africa,  &c. 

Lost  at  Mana   by 

mutiny  of  slaves, 

whokilled  nearly 

all  the  crew  on 

board 

, 

* 


I 

(*•  s 
i*  \f 

^  J¥ 

/c-l;   V 


•         2 


1 1 


$y 


I     I 

1                i     '     i 

\ 

1 

. 

<t  > 

,0. 

, 

o  .A 

'  *  i  ./  i       J,  i*    •  u 

.>; 


iv  ^ 


APPENDIX. 

APPENDIX  No.  III.— CONTINUED. 


667 


Ship's  Name. 

Master's  Name. 

Voyage. 

By  whom  taken,  and 
where  carried,  etc. 

Hothersall* 

Liverpool  for  Antigua 

Ret'k'n  by  Knight 

Windsor 

Joseph  Clarke 

Do.     for  Philadelphia 

Bayonne 

Whe'lofF'rtune 

Wm.  Lethwayte 

Do.     for  West  Indies 

Martinico 

Snow  Betty 

Quirk 

Jamaica  for  L'pool 

Retaken  by  a  New- 

York  Privateer 

Ann 

Marshall 

L'pool  for  Jamaica 

Martinico 

Ellen 

Kirby 

Do.       "  Do. 

Do. 

Brig  Betsey 

Jones 

L'pool  and  Africa,  &c. 

Bayonne 

Brig  Calvely 

Hughes 

L'pool  and  Africa,  &c. 

60  slaves  taken  by 

the  French,  who 

gave  back  the  ship 

to  the  captain 

Brig  St.  Micha'l 

Magee 

Guadaloupe  for  L'pool 

Martinico 

George  &  Betty 

Edwd.  M'Gill 

L'pool  for  Jamaica 

Do. 

Elizabeth   and 

Mary 

Oporto  for  Liverpool 

Rochelle 

Alice 

Ellams 

Newfoundland        for 

Oporto 

Vigo 

Prospect 

Ilowell 

From    Barbadoes    for 

Liverpool 

By  French  Pr'v'te'r 

Tyrrell 

Gill 

,,    Africa  &  Antigua 

St.  Jean  de  Luz 

Jenny  &  Nancy 

Moses  Drape 

,,    Malaga 

Brest 

Samuel 

Whitehead 

For  Africa,  &c. 

Bayonne 

Carolina 

Prince 

For  Guadaloupe 

Do. 

Good  Intent 

Quill 

For  New  York 

Do. 

The  Ferret 

Berry 

For  Africa 

Martinico 

Phcebe 

Gaball 

For  Barbadoes 

Bayonne 

*  She  was  sold  by  auction,  re-named  \.\\ejane,  taken  again  on  her  passage  to  St. 
Petersburg,  and  ransomed  for  400  guineas. 


APPENDIX  No.  IV. 

List  of  the  principal  Liverpool  Privateers  and  Letters  of 
Marque  in  the  War  with  America,  France,  Spain,  and 
Holland  (1775-83):— 


Ships. 

Commanders. 

Owners. 

Tons. 

t 
Guns 

Men. 

Arethusa 
Atalanta 
Adventure 
Alfred 
Active 
Amazon 
Antigallican 

Jones 
Collinson 
Hyatt 

Nelson  &  Co. 
Fowden  &  Berry 
Newby  &  Co. 
John  Kennion 

ISO 
1  80 
160 
280 

18 
16 

14 
14 
14 
H 

22 

92 

54 
80 

Powell 
C.  L.  Whytell 
Butler 

80 

95 
1  2O 

t  Exclusive  of  swivels.     The  number  of  guns  and  men  was  liable  to  frequent 

change. 


668 


THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVA  TEERS. 


APPENDIX  No.  IV.— CONTINUED. 


Ships. 

Commanders. 

Owners. 

Tons. 

Guns 

Men. 

Brilliant 

Wm.  Priestman 

John  Sparling 

60O 

20 

_ 

Bellona 

Fairweather         '  Bolden  &  Co. 

250 

24 

140 

Brooks 

Noble 

320 

20 

45 

Basil 

Robt.  Leake          Peter  Freeland 

—  - 

12 

Bess 

Perry                       Slater  &  Co. 

270 

18 

IOO 

Benson 

Ball                         Rawlinson,  Chorley  & 

Grierson 

360 

2O 

79 

Catcher 

Fletcher 

Salisbury  £  Co. 

110 

H 

80 

r^om  vn  frf^t* 

\\7f-\r\f\C 

T  A 

A  *) 

Dragon 

Briggs 

Warren  &  Co. 

112 

A4 

14 

4* 
So 

Dreadnought 

Taylor 

Wagner  &  Co.  * 

200 

20 

1  20 

Delight 

Dawson 

Rawlinson  &  Co. 

120 

12 

39 

Ellis 

Washington  (or 

Jolly) 

Boats  &  Gregson 

340 

28 

130 

Eagle 

Bond 

Salisbury  &  Co. 

1  10 

14 

80 

Enterprisef 

Pearce 

Brooks  &  Co. 

250 

2O 

70 

Ellen 

Fell 

France  &  Co. 

2OO 

2O 

70 

Fly 

Briggs 

•  — 

14 

70 

Griffin 

Grimshavv 

Hall  &  Co. 

130 

14 

90 

Greenwood 

Reid 

Crosbie  &  Greenwood 

250 

16 

5° 

Gregson 

Boyd  (or  Jolly) 

Boats  &  Gregson 

25O 

24 

120 

Hornet 

Naylor 

Liversley  &  Co. 

120 

16 

90 

Hawke 

Bradley 

Mason  &  Co. 

120 

16 

70 

Hercules 

Wright 

Whitaker  &  Co. 

I20O 

3° 

IOO 

Harlequin 

Fayrer 

Earle  &  Co. 

1  80 

20 

— 

Hope 

Melling 

Crosdale,  Barrow  &  Co. 

250 

16 

— 

Industry 

Jno.  Moore 

Meyer,  Wilckens  &.  Co. 

200 

10 

— 

Isabella 

Wiseman 

Gill  Slater 

300 

16 

So 

James 

Jno.  Amery 

James  France 

— 

20 

— 

Jenny 

Adams 

Chorley  <fc  Co. 

130 

14 

35 

Jenny 

Wade 

Thos.  Moss  &  Co. 

250 

14 

70 

Jenny 

Ashton 

Ashton  &  Co.  ,  of  Tortola 

80 

12 

30 

Jenny  (ship) 

Walker 

Tarleton     &     Co.,    or 

Daniel  Backhouse 

140  !  14 

40 

Jenny  (brig) 

Gill 

Daniel  Backhouse 

— 

16 

— 

Jamaica 

Fletcher 

Birch  &  Co. 

35° 

18 

IIO 

Juno 

Beaver 

Hartley  &  Co. 

90 

H 

40 

Knight 

Wilson 

Hindley,  Leigh  &  Co. 

220 

18 

So 

Liverpool 

Wilcox 

S.  Shaw  &  Co. 

2IO 

16 

45 

Little  Ben 

Bostock                :  Radcliffe  &  Co. 

no 

J4 

50 

Livingston 

Rawlinson  &  Co. 

40O 

20 

Lady  Granby 

Powell 

Ashton  &  Co. 

45 

10 

60 

Marchioness  of 

Marquis  of  Granby  and 

Granby 

Rogers 

Nicholas  Ashton,  Esq. 

260 

20 

130 

Molly 

Kendall 

Gregson  &  Co. 

260 

16 

70 

Mary  Fearon 

Caton 

France  &  Co. 

280 

16 

60 

Mentor 

Jno.  Dawson 

Baker  &  Co. 

400 

28 

1  02 

Mermaid 

Smith 

Sparling  &  Co. 

250 

16 

5° 

Mary 

Bonsai  1 

Drinkwater  &  Co. 

130 

16 

40 

Molly 

Woods 

Rawlinson  &  Co. 

240 

14 

40 

*  Mr.  B.  P.  Wagner  was  the  maternal  grandfather  of  Felicia  Dorothea  Hemans. 
tAfterwards  owned  by  Francis  Ingram  &  Co.,  and  commanded  by  Captain  Haslam. 


APPENDIX. 

APPENDIX  No.  IV.— CONTINUED. 


669 


Ships. 

Commanders. 

Owners. 

Tons. 

Guns    Men. 

Mersey 

Gibbons 

Whitaker  &  Co. 

1400 

28 

IOO 

Nancy 

Hammond 

Fowden  &  Berry 

250 

2O 

59 

Nancy 

Nelson 

Pringle  &  Co. 

150 

16       50 

Nanny 

Harrison 

Watts  &  Rawson 

220 

14 

70 

Nanny 

Beynon 

Hinclley,  Leigh  &  Co. 

220 

14 

50 

Patsey 

La'ren'eDooling 

Rawlinson  &  Co. 

— 

18       • 

Pole 

Haddocks 

Nelson  &  Co. 

320 

24 

IOO 

Pallas 

Townsend 

I.  &  R.  Slinger 

— 

16 

— 

Queen 

Gee 

Richard  Kent 

800 

20 

IOO 

Rose 

Jackson 

J.  /uill  &  Co. 

120 

14 

40 

Richard 

Lee 

Rawlinson  &  Co. 

150 

16 

70 

Resolution 

Beard 

Holme  &  Co. 

4OO 

22 

IOO 

Retaliation 

Townsend 

Syers  &  Co. 

1  6O 

16 

IOO 

Revenge 

Ramsey 

Hughes  &  Co. 

120 

14 

So 

Rover 

Bancroft 

Kennion  &  Co. 

1  2O 

14 

So  •• 

Rumbold 

Fayrer 

Caruthers  &  Co. 

250 

20 

57 

St.  George 

Hanley 

Warren  &  Co. 

110 

H 

75 

Sturdy  Beggar 

Cooper 

Davenport  &  Co. 

1  60 

16 

IOO   j 

Sarah  Goulburn 

Lewtas 

Brown  &  Jones 

340 

26 

1  20 

St.  Peter 

N.  Holland 

Holme,     Bowyer     <fc 

Kennion 

320 

22 

147 

Spy 

Rigmaiden 

J.  Zuill  &  Co. 

120 

H 

40 

Spitfire 

Bell 

Do. 

2OO 

16 

IOO 

Success 

Nevin 

Crosbie  &  Greenwood 

120 

12 

30 

Sparling 

Plato  Denny 

John  Sparling 

4OO 

18 

Do. 

Ed.  Forbes 

Do. 

300 

14 

— 

Sally 

Rimmer 

Watts  &  Rawson 

I  SO 

16 

70 

Sisters 

Webster 

Whitaker  &  Co. 

800 

20 

IOO 

Townside 

Watmough 

Mitton  &  Co. 

130 

16 

90 

Terrible 

Ash 

Nottingham  &  Co. 

250 

20 

130 

Tom 

Davies 

Mr.  Clement 

IOO 

12 

36 

( 

18 

Tartar 

Allanson 

J.  Backhouse  &  Co. 

90 

or 

80 

( 

14 

nn 

-T 

T  *> 

i  on  i 
Two  Brothers 

.L*ee 
Fisher 

Roberts  &  Co. 

150 

1  ^ 

16 

39 

Tyger 

Qualtrough 

200 

14 

70 

Tyger 

Amery 

James  France  &  Co. 

300 

16 

60 

Tryal 

Eagle 

•  —  • 

H 

80 

Ulysses 

Briggs 

Baker  &  Dawson 

250 

16 

— 

Viper 

Cowell 

Birch  &  Co. 

I  DO 

18 

80 

Viper 

Philip  Cowell 

Gregson  &  Bridge 

— 

16 

40 

Wasp 

Byrne 

Kennion  &  Co. 

22O 

14 

95 

Watt 

Coulthard 

— 

32 

164 

Young  Henry 

Corrie 

Hartley  &  Co. 

270 

18 

60 

670  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 


APPENDIX  No.  V. 

The   Swallow,    Letter   of   Marque   Against   the    French, 
Dated  I2th  July  1796. 

"GEORGE  the  Third,  by  the  Grace  of  God  of  Great  Britain, 
France,  and  Ireland,  King"  Defender  of  the  Faith;  To  all 
persons  to  whom  these  presents  shall  come  Greeting".  Where- 
as divers  injurious  proceedings  have  lately  been  had  in  France, 
in  derogation  of  the  honor  of  our  Crown,  and  of  the  just  rights 
of  our  subjects,  and  whereas  several  unjust  seizures  have  been 
there  made  of  the  Ships  and  Goods  of  our  subjects,  contrary  to 
the  laws  of  nations,  and  to  the  faith  of  treaties.  And  whereas 
the  said  Acts  of  unprovoked  hostility  have  been  followed  by  an 
open  declaration  of  war  against  us  and  our  ally,  the  Republic  of 
the  United  Provinces.  We  therefore,  being  determined  to  take 
such  measures  as  are  necessary  for  vindicating  the  honor  of  our 
Crown,  and  for  procuring-  reparation  and  satisfaction  for  our 
injured  subjects,  did  by,  and  with  the  advice  of  our  Privy 
Council,  order  that  general  reprisals  be  granted  against  the 
Ships,  Goods,  and  Subjects  of  France,  so  that  as  well  our  Fleets 
and  Ships  as  also  all  other  Ships  and  Vessels  that  shall  be  com- 
missionated  by  Letters  of  Marque  or  general  reprisals  or  other- 
wise, shall  and  may  lawfully  apprehend,  seize,  and  take  all  Ships, 
Vessels,  and  Goods  belonging  to  France,  or  to  any  persons  being 
subjects  of  France,  or  inhabitating  within  the  Territories  of 
France,  and  bring  the  same  to  judgment  in  our  High  Court  of 
Admiralty  of  England,  or  in  any  of  our  Courts  of  Admiralty 
within  our  Dominions,  for  proceedings  and  adjudication  and 
condemnation  to  be  thereupon  had  according  to  the  course  of 
Admiralty,  and  the  laws  of  Nations.  And,  whereas  by  our  com- 
mission under  our  Great  Seal  of  Great  Britain,  bearing  date  the 
Fourteenth  day  of  February,  One  Thousand  Seven  hundred  and 
Ninety-three,  we  have  willed,  required,  and  authorized  our  com- 
missioners for  executing  the  office  of  Lord  High  Admiral  of  Great 


APPENDIX.  671 

Britain,  or  any  person  or  persons  by  them  empowered  and  ap- 
pointed to  issue  forth  and  grant  Letters  of  Marque  and  reprisals 
accordingly,  and  with  such  powers  and  clauses  to  be  therein 
inserted,  and  in  such  manner  as  by  our  said  commission  more 
at  large  appeareth.  And,  whereas  our  said  Commissioners  for 
executing  the  office  of  our  High  Admiral  aforesaid,  have  thought 
JOHN  MACIVER  fitly  qualified,  who  hath  equipped,  furnished, 
and  victualled  a  ship  called  the  Swallow,  of  the  burthen  of  about 
two  hundred  and  fifty-six  tons,  British  built,  square  stem,  scroll 
head,  and  two  masts,  mounted  with  eighteen  carriage  guns 
carrying  shot  of  six  pounds  weight,  and  no  swivel  guns,  and 
navigated  by  thirty-five  men,  of  whom  one  third  are  landsmen, 
and  belonging  to  the  Port  of  Liverpool,  whereof  he  the  said 
JOHN  MACIVER  is  commander,  and  that  THOMAS  TWEM- 
LOW,  PETER  MACIVER,  SAMUEL  MCDOWALL,  and 
IVER  MACIVER,  of  Liverpool,  Merchants,  and  him  the  said 
JOHN  MACIVER  are  the  owners.  And,  whereas  he  the  said 
JOHN  MACIVER  hath  given  sufficient  bail  with  sureties  to  us 
in  our  said  High  Court  of  Admiralty,  according  to  the  effect 
and  form  set  down  in  our  instructions  made  the  Fourteenth  day 
of  February,  One  Thousand  Seven  Hundred  and  Ninety-three, 
in  the  Thirty-third  year  of  our  reign,  a  copy  whereof  is  given 
to  the  said  Captain,  JOHN  MACIVER.  Know  ye  therefore, 
that  we  do  by  these  presents  issue  forth  and  grant  Letters  of 
Marque  and  reprisals  to,  and  do  license  and  authorize  the  said 
JOHN  MACIVER  to  set  forth  in  a  warlike  manner  the  said 
ship  called  the  "  Swallow, "  under  his  own  command,  and 
therewith  by  force  of  arms  to  apprehend,  seize,  and  take  the 
Ships,  Vessels,  and  Goods  belonging  to  France,  or  to  any 
persons  being  subjects  of  France,  or  inhabiting  within  any  of 
the  territories  of  France,  excepting  only  within  the  harbours 
or  roads  of  Princes  and  States  in  amity  with  us,  and  to  bring 
the  same  to  such  port  as  shall  be  most  convenient  in  order  to 
have  them  legally  adjudged  in  our  said  High  Court  of  Admi- 
ralty of  England  or  before  the  Judges  of  such  other  Admiralty 
Court  as  shall  be  lawfully  authorized  within  our  Dominions, 
while  being  finally  condemned  it  shall  and  may  be  lawful  for 


672  THE  LIVERPOOL  PRIVATEERS. 

the  said  JOHN  MACIVER  to  sell  and  dispose  of  such  Ships, 
Vessels  and  Goods  finally  adjudged  and  condemned,  in  such 
sort  and  manner  as  by  the  Court  of  Admiralty  hath  been  ac- 
customed. Provided,  always,  that  the  said  JOHN  MACIVER 
keep  an  exact  journal  of  his  proceeding's,  and  therein  particu- 
larly take  notice  of  all  prizes  which  shall  be  taken  by  him,  the 
nature  of  such  prizes,  the  times  and  places  of  their  being- 
taken,  and  the  values  of  them  as  near  as  he  can  judge,  as  also 
of  the  station,  motion  and  strength  of  the  French  as  well  as 
he  or  his  mariners  can  discover  by  the  best  intelligence  he  can 
get,  and  also  of  whatsoever  else  shall  occur  unto  him  or  any  of 
his  officers  or  mariners,  or  be  discovered  or  declared  unto  him 
or  them,  or  found  out  by  examination  or  conference  with  any 
mariners  or  passengers  of  or  in  any  of  the  Ships  or  Vessels 
taken,  or  by  any  other  person  or  persons,  or  by  any  other  ways 
and  means  whatsoever,  touching  or  concerning  the  designs  of 
the  French,  or  any  of  their  Fleets,  Vessels  or  Parties,  and  of 
their  stations,  ports  and  places,  and  of  their  intents  therein, 
and  of  what  Ships  or  Vessels  of  the  French  bound  out  or  home, 
or  to  any  other  place,  as  he  or  his  officers  or  mariners  shall 
hear  of,  and  of  what  else  material  in  these  cases  may  arrive  to 
his  or  their  knowledge,  of  all  which  he  shall,  from  time  to 
time,  as  he  shall  or  may  have  opportunity,  transmit  an  account 
to  our  said  commissioners  for  executing  the  office  of  our  High 
Admiral  aforesaid,  or  their  secretary,  and  keep  a  corres- 
pondence with  them  by  all  opportunities  that  shall  present. 
And,  further,  providing  that  nothing  be  done  by  the  said 
JOHN  MACIVER,  or  any  of  his  officers,  mariners,  or  com- 
pany, contrary  to  the  true  meaning  of  our  aforesaid  instruc- 
tions, but.  that  the  said  instructions  shall  by  them,  and  each 
and  every  of  them,  as  far  as  they  or  any  of  them  are  therein 
concerned,  in  all  particulars  be  well  and  truly  performed  and 
observed.  And  we  pray  and  desire  all  Kings,  Princes,  Poten- 
tates, States,  and  Republicks,  being  our  friends  and  allies, 
and  all  others  to  whom  it  shall  appertain,  to  give  the  said 
JOHN  MACIVER  all  aid,  assistance  and  succour  in  their 
ports  with  his  said  ship,  company  and  prizes,  without  doing 


APPENDIX.  673 

or  suffering-  to  be  done  to  him  any  wrong,  trouble  or  hind- 
rance, we  offering-  to  do  the  like  when  we  shall  be  by  them 
thereunto  desired.  And  we  will,  and  require  all  our  officers 
whatsoever,  to  g-ive  him  succour  and  assistance  as  occasion 
shall  require. 

"  In  witness  whereof  we  have  caused  the  great  seal  of  our 
High  Court  of  our  Admiralty  of  England  to  be  hereunto 
affixed.  Given  at  London  the  Twelfth  day  of  July  in  the  year 
of  our  Lord  One  Thousand  Seven  Hundred  and  Ninety-six, 
and  in  the  Thirty-sixth  year  of  our  reign. 

"ARDEN, 

"Registrar." 


2U 


674 


APPENDIX  TO   SLAVE   TRADE   SECTION. 

APPENDIX  No.  VI. 

A  LIST  of  the  Company  of  Merchants  trading  to  Africa 
(established  by  an  Act  of  Parliament  passed  in  the  23rd  of 
George  II.,  entituled  an  "  Act  for  Extending  and  Improv- 
ing the  Trade  to  Africa  "  ),  belonging  to  Liverpool,  June 
24th,  1752. 


Nicholson,  John 
Ogden,  Samuel 
Ogden,  Edmund 
Oldham,  Isaac 
Okill,  John 
Pritchard,  Owen 
Parr,  John 
Parr,  Edward 
Pardoe,  Tames 
Penket,  William 
Pole,  William 
Parker,  John 
Rowe,  William 
Reed,  Samuel 
Strong,  Matthew] 
Shaw,  Samuel 
Savage,  Richard 
Seel,  Thomas 
Strong,  John 
Smith,  Samuel 
Seel,  Robert 
Smith,  Rob.,  Broad-st., 
London 
Tarleton,  John 
Townsend,  Henry 
Townsend,  Richard 
Trafford,  Edward 
Tarleton,  John 
Unsworth,  Levinus 
Williamson,  Wm. 
Whytell,  Christo 
Whalley,  William 
White,  Hen.,  Lane. 
Williamson,  John 

Total  101. 

"  N.B. — There  are  One  Hundred  and  thirty  five  merchants 
free  of  the  African  company  in  London,  and  One  Hundred  and 
fifty  seven  in  Bristol,  whereas  their  Trade  to  Africa  is  not  so 
extensive  as  the  Merchants  of  Liverpool."* 


Armitage,  John 
Atherton,  John 
Ashton,  John 
Bostock,  John 
Bulkeley,  William 
Blundell,  Jonathan 
Backhouse,  John 
Blundell,  Bryan 
Blundell,  Richard 
Blackburn,  John 
Bradley,  George 
Brooks,  George 
Benson,  Wm. 
Ball,  Thomas 
Bridge,  Edward 
Blundell,  William 
Brooks,  Joseph 
Brooks,  Jonathan 
Bird,  Joseph 
Crowder,  Thomas 
Crosbie,  James 
Cunliffe,  Foster 
Cunliffe,  Ellis 
Cunliffe,  Robert 
Campbell,  George 
Clay,  Robert 
Craven,  Charles 
Clayton,  John 
Crompton,  John 
Clews,  George 
Chalmer,  Thomas 
Davis,  Joseph 
Dean,  Edward 
Dobb,  William 


Dunbar,  Thomas 
Earl,  Ralph 
Eddie,  David 
Ellams,  Elliott 
Forbes,  Edward 
Farmer,  Joseph 
Ford  Richard 
Fletcher,  Potter 
Gildart,  Richard 
Goodwin,  William 
Goore,  Charles 
Gorrell,  John 
Gildart,  James 
Gordon,  James 
Goodwin,  John 
Hardman,  John 
Heywood,  Arthur 
Heywood,  Benja. 
Hesketh,  Robert 
Hughes,  Richard 
Hardwar,  Henry 
Higginson,  William 
Hallhead,  Robert 
Hughes,  John  Capt. 
Kendall,  Thomas 
Knight,  John 
Leatherbarrow,  Th. 
Laidler,  George 
Lee,  Pierce 
Lowndes,  Edward 
Lowndes,  Charles 
Mears,  Thomas 
Manesty,  Joseph 
Nicholas,  Richard 


*  From  "Williamson's  Liverpool  Memorandum  Book,  1753,"  in  the  possession 
of  Richard  Cyril  Lockett,  Esq. 


APPENDIX. 


675 


APPENDIX  No.  VII. 

A  LIST  OF  THE  GUINEAMEN  BELONGING 
TO  LIVERPOOL  IN  THE  YEAR  1752,  with  their 
Owners'  and  Commanders'  names  and  the  number  of 
slaves  carried  by  each  : — * 


Ships. 

Commanders. 

Where  Bound. 

Owners. 

No.  of 

Slaves. 

Africa 

Harrison 

Benin 

Jno.  Welsh  &  Co. 

250 

African 

John  Newton 

Win'd  and  Gold 

Coast 

J.  Manesty  &  Co. 

250 

Annabella 

Win.  Harrison 

Do. 

W.  Dobb  &  Co. 

260 

Antigua  Mer- 

chant 

Robt.  Thomas 

Angola 

Jas.  Gildart  &  Co. 

2OO 

Anglesey 

James  Caruthers 

Win'd  and  Gold 

Coast 

Tine,Farrar&Co. 

1  80 

Alice  Galley 

Rich.  Jackson 

Do. 

R.  Cheshyre  &  Co. 

350 

Ann  Galley 

Neh'm'h  Holland 

Calabar 

Wm.  Whalley  & 

Co. 

340 

Adlington 

Tho.  Perkin 

Win'd  and  Gold 

Coast 

J.  Manesty  &  Co. 

320 

Allen 

Jas.  Strangeways 

Do. 

J.  Brooks  &  Co. 

250 

\    /%Vi  i  11  t*t- 

T*V»/-M-»-»1  C-      T>ltv1/-«l- 

TT                    T  T            f^,,,n  v     CV 

y\cniiico 

1  IlOIIlcls    1  diriCK. 

XiCIl.      -LI  3,1  Cl  Well     (X 

Co. 

450 

Betty 

Sm.  Sacheverelle 

John  Robinson 

IOO 

Blake 

Alex.  Torbet 

Calabar 

Jo.  Bird  &  Co. 

46o 

Barbadoes 

Merchant 

John  Wilson 

Angola 

G.  Campbell  &Co. 

500 

Boyne 

Wm.  Wilkinson 

Bonny 

E.  Forbes  &  Co. 

400 

Beverley 

William  Lowe 

Angola 

E.  Lowndes&Co. 

200 

Brooke 

Thomas  Kewley 

Old  Calabar 

Roger  Brooks  £ 

Compy. 

4OO 

Barclay 

John  Gadson 

Do. 

Jno.  Welsh  &  Co. 

450 

Bulkeley 

Chris.  Baitson 

Win'd  and  Gold 

Coast 

Foster    Cunliffe, 

Sons  &  Co. 

350 

Britannia 

Jas.  Pemberton 

Do. 

Thos.     Leather- 

barrow  &  Co. 

300 

Bridget 

Anth'ny  Grayson 

(or  Hayston) 

Do. 

Foster    Cunliffe, 

Sons  &  Co. 

250 

Clayton 

Patrick 

Cumberland 

John  Griffin 

Gambia 

E.  Deane  &  Co. 

26O 

Chesterfield 

Patrick  Black 

Old  Calabar 

W.Whalley&Co. 

440 

Charm'gNancy 

Tho.  Roberts 

Win'd  and  Gold 

Coast 

W.     Davenport 

&Co. 

170 

*  Compiled  from  a  rare  copy  of  Williamson's  Liverpool  Memorandum  Book, 
published  in  1753,  in  the  possession  of  Richard  Cyril  Lockett,  Esq.,  and  exhibited 
on  his  behalf  before  the  Historic  Society  of  Lancashire  and  Cheshire,  by  J.  Paul 
Rylands,  Esq.,  F.S.A.,  March,  1897. 


676 


THE  LIVERPOOL  S-LA  VE  TRADE. 


APPENDIX  NO.   VII.— CONTINUED. 


Ships.                       Commanders. 

No.  of 
Where  Bound.                     Owner.-.               Slaves. 

Cavendish             Robert  Jennings 

Win'd  and  Gold      Nicholas  &  Co.     |   170 

Coast 

Cecilia                  Rd.  Younge 

Gambia                    Fr.  Green  &  Co.      120 

Duke  of 

Cumberland      John  Crosbie 

Bonny                  !  J.  Crosbie  &  Co.      450 

Dolphin                Joseph  Pederick 

Win'd  and  Gold 

Coast                Ed.  Forbes  &  Co.     200 

Elizabeth              William  Heys 

Gambia                     Sam.  Shaw  &  Co.     200 

Elijah 

Win'd  and  Gold 

Coast              E.Lowndes&Co.    200 

Enterprise            Sam.  Greenhow 

Gambia  (miss'g)     John  Yates  &  Co.     130 

EllisandRob't.    Rich.  Jackson 

Win'd  and  Gold 

, 

Coast 

F.Cunliffe&Sons    32  >     ; 

Eaton 

John  Hughes 

Angola 

John  Okill  &  Co.  . 

(Wood  &  Teeth)  i 

550 

Fanny 

Win.  Jenkinson 

Win'd  and  Gold 

Coast                ].  Knight  &  Co.       I2C 

Ferret 

Joseph  Welch 

Do. 

Jno.  Welch  &  Co.       50     • 

Florimel 

Samuel  Linaker 

Calabar 

Rich.  Townsend 

&  Co.               320 

Frodsham 

James  Powell 

Angola 

Nich.  Torr  &  Co.     450 

Fortune 

Hugh  Williams 

Bonny 

Hy.     Townsend 

&  Co.               480 

Foster 

Edward  Cropper 

Benin 

Foster  Cunliffe, 

Sons  &  Co.         200 

George 

Charles  Cooke 

Angola                     G.   Campbell    & 

Co.                 250 

Grace 

Old  Calabar         ;  Ed.  Forbes  &  Co.  \  400 

Greyhound           Maurice  Roach 

Win'd  and  Gold  ! 

Coast 

Rd.  Savage  &  Co.  '   120 

Hesketh                James  Thompson 

New  Calabar 

R.  Nicholas  &  Co.    260 

Hector               ;  Brook  Kelsall 

Do. 

W.Gregson&Co.    480 

Hardman           :  Joseph  Yoward 

Win'd  and  Gold 

Coast 

J.Hardman&Co.    300 

Jenny 

Thos.  Darbyshire 

Do. 

Jno.  Knight  &  Co.    450 

Judith 

Nich.  Southworth 

Bonny                       Jno.  Welch  &  Co.    350 

James 

Jno.  Sacherevelle 

Win'd  and  Gold  ' 

Coast 

James  Gildart          120 

Knight 

Wm.  Boats 

Do. 

Jno.  Knight  &  Co.    400 

Lintott 

Ralph  Lowe 

New  Calabar 

R.  Nicholas  &  Co.    400 

Lord  Strange 

Edward  Smith 

Benin 

Wm.  Halliday  & 

Co.                 230 

Lovely  Betty 

George  Jackson 

Win'd  and  Gold 

Geo.    Campbell 

Coast 

£  Co.               140 

Little  Billy 

Thos.  Dickenson 

Do. 

J.  Knight  &  Co.        60 

Mersey 

John  Gee 

Benin 

T.Kennion  &  Co.     300 

Middleham 

John  Welch 

Old  Calabar             R.  Gildart  &  Sons    320 

Methwen 

John  Coppell 

Win'd  and  Gold 

Coast               J.  Crosbie  &  Co.      280 

Minerva 

Thomas  Jordan 

Gambia 

Jas.  Pardoe  &  Co.     400 

M  ercury 

John  Walker 

Win'd  and  Gold 

Coast            i  Reunion  &  Holme    100 

1                                 | 

APPENDIX, 


677 


APPENDIX  No.  VII.— CONTINUED. 


Ships.                     Commanders. 

Where  Bound. 

Owners. 

No.  of 
Slaves. 

Molly                   Richard  Rigby 

Win'd  and  Gold 

Coast 

R.Golding&Co. 

320 

Neptune               Tho.  Thompson 

Old  Calabar 

Joseph  and  Jona. 

Brooks  &  Co. 

450 

Nelly                    Joseph  Drape  (or 

Jno.  Simmons) 

Do. 

Win.  Williamson 

&Co. 

320 

Nancy                   [ohn  Honeyford    ' 

Bonny 

T.  Kenclal  &  Co. 

400 

Nancy                !  Robert  1  1  ewin 

Do. 

Pet.  Holme  &  Co. 

400 

Nancy 

Thos  Midgeley 

Gambia 

Knight,     Mairs, 

&  Co. 

300 

Orrel 

James  Griffin 

Do. 

W.Whalley&Co. 

1  2O 

Ormor.d 

Success 

Angola 

Wm.  Williamson 

&  Co. 

300 

•p.  vflru1 

\Vin'd  and  Gold 

Coast 

Jas.  Parcloe  &  Co. 

240 

Priscilla 

Wm.  Parkinson 

Angola 

Jno.  Welch  &  Co. 

35° 

Phoebe 

Wm.  Lawson 

Win'd  and  Gold 

Coast 

Arthur  and  Ben. 

Heywood  &  Co. 

280 

Prince  \\illiam    John  Valentine 

Angola 

R.Gildart  &  Sons 

200 

Rider                     Michael  Rush 

Do. 

R.Gildart  &  Sons 

300 

:   Ranger 

James  Sanders 

Win'd  and  Gold 

W.  Farington  & 

Coast 

Co. 

300 

Sarah 

Alex.  Lawson 

Bonny 

T.  Crowder  &  Co. 

550 

Salisbury 

Thos.  Marsden 

Old  Calabar 

Robert  Armitage 

35° 

Sterling  Castle 

Charles  Gardner 

Bonny 

John  Backhouse 

&  Co. 

300 

Samuel       and 

Nancy 

James  Lowe 

Win'd  and  Gold 

! 

Coast 

R.  Savage  &  Co. 

2  2O 

Swan                    Peter  Leay 

Bonny 

John  Tarleton  & 

Compy. 

4OO 

Sam'y&  Biddy      Rob.  Grayson 

Win'd  Coast 

T.  Blundell  &  Co. 

120 

Schemer                Robt.  Grimshaw 

Do. 

T.  Chalmers  &  Co. 

120 

Stronge                 Thomas  Cubbin 

Bonny 

Mat.    and    Jno. 

Stronge  &  Co. 

300 

Tarlton                  Jas.  Thompson 

Do. 

J.  Tarlton  &  Co. 

340 

'  Triton                    Chas   Jenkinson 

Do. 

Levinus      Uns- 

1 

worth  it  Co. 

240 

Thomas                Jas.  Hutchinson 

:  Gambia 

G.   Campbell    & 

Co. 

200 

True  Blue         :  Benjamin  Wade 

Benin 

J.  Cheshyre  &  Co. 

300 

Thomas     and 

Martha 

Tn.  Gillman 

Win'd  and  Gold 

G.   Campbell   & 

Coast 

Co. 

200 

*Vigilant             \  \Vm.  Freeman 

Do. 

J.  Bridge  &  Co. 

1  60 

Union                    Tim.  Anyon 

Do. 

J.  Pardoe  &  Co. 

350 

William     and 

Betty      Thos.  Barclay 

1  Angola 

S.  Shawe  &  Co. 

400 

i 

*  Missing. 
Total  88  Ships  carrying  upwards  of  24,730  Slaves,  and  550  wood  and  teeth. 


678 


THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 


APPENDIX    No.    VIII. 

The  number  of  ships  which  cleared  out  from  the  port  of 
Liverpool  to  the  coast  of  Africa,  from  the  earliest  date  to 
the  time  of  the  trade  being  abolished  in  May,  1807.*  The 
majority  of  these  vessels  were  employed  in  the  slave  trade, 
the  rest  carrying  only  wood  and  teeth.  For  instance, 
during  the  period  covered  by  Appendix  IX.,  (1783-93)  43 
ships  carried  wood  and  teeth,  while  878  carried  slaves. 


Year. 

Ships 

Tons. 

Year. 

Ships. 

Tons. 

Year. 

Ships. 

Tons. 

1709 

I 

30 

1768 

81 

8,302 

1789 

66 

",564 

1730 

15 

IIII 

1769 

90 

9,852 

1790 

9i 

17,917 

1737 

33 

2756 

1770 

96 

9,818 

1791 

1  02 

I9,6lO 

1744 

34 

2698 

1771 

105 

10,929 

1792 

132 

22,4O2 

1751 

53 

5334 

1772 

100 

10,159 

1793 

52 

10,544 

1752 

58 

5437 

1773 

105 

11,056 

1794 

1753 

72 

7547 

1774 

92 

9,859 

1795 

59 

1754 

7i 

5463 

1775 

81 

9,200 

1796 

94 

1755 

4i 

4052 

1776 

57 

7,078 

1797 

90 

20,415 

1756 

60 

5!47 

1777 

3° 

4,060 

I798 

149 

34,937 

1757 

47 

5050 

1778 

26 

3,651 

1799 

134 

34,966 

1758 

5i 

5229 

1779 

ii 

1,205 

1800 

1  20 

33,774 

1759 

58 

5892 

1780 

32 

4,275 

1801 

122 

28,429 

1760 

74 

8178 

1781 

43 

5,720 

1802 

122 

30,796 

1761 

69 

7309 

1782 

47 

6,209 

1803 

83 

15,534 

1762 

61 

6752 

1783 

85 

12,294 

1804 

126 

27,322 

1763 

65 

6650 

1784 

67 

9,568 

1805 

117 

26,536 

1764 

74 

7978 

1785 

79 

10,982 

1806 

III 

25,949 

1765 

83 

9382 

1786 

92 

I3,97i 

1807 

74 

17,806 

1766 

65 

6650 

1787 

81 

14,012 

1767 

83 

8345 

1788 

73 

13,394 

N.B. — From  the  first  day  of  January,  1806,  to  the  first 
day  of  May,  1807,  there  had  sailed  from  the  port  of  Liver- 
pool 185  African  ships,  measuring  43,755  tons,  which  were 
allowed  to  carry  49,213  slaves. 


APPENDIX  No.  IX. 

A  list  of  the  houses  that  annually  imported  upwards  of 
1000  slaves,  the  number  of  ships  employed,  and  slaves  by 
them  imported  from  1783  to  1793,  both  inclusive,  whereby 
is  seen  the  proportion  which  they  held  to  all  the  slave- 

*  Troughton's  "History  of  Liverpool,'  p.  265. 


APPENDIX. 


679 


vessels   that  annually  sailed    from    the   port  of    Liverpool 
during  that  period  : — * 


Years.                       Houses.     Ships.                Houses.                Ships.                              Slaves. 

In  1783  there  were  42  and  85  of  which  13  employed  47  and  imported  26,820 

1784 

33 

59 

IO 

28 

13,590 

1785 

37 

73 

9 

36 

18,020 

1780 

37 

87 

13 

53 

21,520 

1787 

27 

72 

8 

39 

17,13° 

1788 

28 

7i 

8 

35 

13,606 

1789 

29 

62 

6 

32 

10,752 

1790 

3° 

89 

IO 

58 

19,089 

1791 

38 

101 

10 

56 

19,027 

1792 

33 

133 

H 

94 

29,905 

1793 

25 

46 

6 

24 

7,325 

359         878                107                  502                      196,784 

APPENDIX  No.  X. 

A  list  of  the  Company  of  Merchants  trading  to  Africa 
(established  by  an  Act  of  23  of  George  II.,  Cap.  31,  entitled : 
11  An  Act  for  the  extending  and  improving  the  trade  to 
Africa,  1750,  for  the  port  of  Liverpool"),  in  1807  :— 


John  Bridge  Aspinall 
James  Aspinall 
William  Aspinall 
Daniel  Backhouse 
John  Backhouse,    Wa- 

vertree 

John  Barnes,  London 
Ralph  Benson 
Robert  Bent,  London 
Patrick  Black 
Jonas  Bold 
John  Bolton 
P.  W.  Brancker 
Thomas  Brancker 
Joseph  Brooks 
John  Brown 
George  Brown,  Wales 
James  Carruthers 
George  Case 
Henry  Clarke,  Belmont, 

Cheshire 
Thomas  Clarke 
Samuel  Clough 
Edgar  Corrie 
William  Crosbie 
James  Thompson  Cukit 


John  Dawson 

Edward  Dickson 

James  Dickson 

William  Dickson 

Thomas  Earle 

William  Earle 

William  Forbes 

James  Gregson 

James  Gildart 

Thomas  Golightly 

John  Greenwood 

William  Harding 

William  Harper 

B.  A.  Heywood 

Thomas  Hinde 

Thomas  Hodgson 

John  Hodgson 

H.  Blundell  Hollinshead 

Francis  Ingram,  Wake- 
field 

John  Chambres  Jones, 
Wales 

Peter  Kennion,  London 

John  Langton,  Kirkham 

Roger  Leigh 

George  Lewis 


William  Neilson 

Thomas  Parke,   High- 
field 

Thomas  John  Parke 

Thomas  Parr 

Thomas  Parr,  Junr. 

James  Penny 

Jonathan  Ratcliffe 

William  Rigg 

John  Sanders 

Christopher  Shaw 

John  Shaw 

Bryan  Smith 

George  Spencer,  London 

Samuel  Staniforth 

Thomas  Tarleton 

John  Tarleton 

Thomas  Moss  Tate 

William  Thompson 

James  Watkinson 

Richard  Willis 

William  Watson 

Richard  Wilding 

William  Woodville,  Ha- 
vana 

Richard  Woodward 


A  General  and  Descriptive  History  of  Liverpool  "  (1795). 


680 


THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 


APPENDIX  No.  XL 

Comparative  Statement  of  Ships  cleared  out  from  the 
Ports  of  London,  Liverpool,  and  Bristol,  to  the  Coast  of 
Africa,  for  ten  years,  from  1795  to  1804  inclusive.* 


Each 

London. 

Bristol. 

Liverpool. 

Total. 

Ship. 

Slaves 

Slaves 

Slaves 

M'dium 

Year. 

Ships. 

Allowed. 

Ships 

Allowed. 

Ships. 

Allowed. 

Ships. 

Slaves. 

Slaves. 

1795 

14 

5>H9 

6 

2,4O2 

59 

17,647 

79 

25,198 

317 

1796 

8 

2,593 

i 

393 

94 

29,425 

103 

32,4" 

315 

1797 

12 

4,225 

2 

80  1 

90 

29,958 

104 

34,984 

336 

I798 

8 

2,650 

3 

1,433 

149 

53,051 

1  60 

57,104 

356 

1799 

17 

5,582 

5 

2,529 

134 

47,5J7 

156 

55,628 

356 

1800 

IO 

2,231 

3 

717 

1  20 

3!,844 

133 

34,722 

26l 

1801 

23 

6,347 

2 

586 

122 

30,913 

147 

37,846 

259 

1802 

30 

9,011 

3 

704 

122 

3i,37i 

155 

41,086 

26b 

1803 

15 

3,616 

i 

355 

83 

29,954 

99 

24,925 

253 

1804 

18 

5,001 

3 

798 

126 

31,090 

147 

36,899 

244 

IO  years 

46,405 

10,718 

323,770 

380,893 

Troughton's  History  of  Liverpool,  p.  266. 


APPENDIX  No.  XII. 


PAID  FOR  A  NEGRO  MAN  AT  BONNY,  IN  1801  : — 

One  piece  of  Chintz,  eighteen  yards  long. 

One  piece  of  Baft,  eighteen  yards  long. 

One  piece  of  Chelloe,  eighteen  yards  long. 

One  piece  of  Bandanoe,  seven  handkerchiefs. 

One  piece  of  Niccannee,  fourteen  yards  long. 

One  piece  of  Cushtae,  fourteen  yards  long. 

One  piece  of  Photae,  fourteen  yards  long. 

Three  pieces  of  Romalls,  forty-five  handkerchiefs. 

One  large  Brass  Pan,  two  muskets. 

Twenty-five  kegs  of  powder,  one  hundred  flints. 

Two  bags  of  shots,  twenty  knives. 

Four  iron  pots,  four  hats,  four  caps. 

Four  cutlasses,  six  bunches  of  beads,  fourteen  gallons  of  brandy. 

These  articles  cost  about  ^25. 


APPENDIX. 
APPENDIX     No.     XIII. 


681 


LIST  OF  GUINEAMEN  BELONGING  TO  THE 
PORT  OF  LIVERPOOL  WHICH  SAILED  FOR 
AFRICA,  from  the  5th  of  January,  1798,  to  the  5th  of 
January,  1799,*  with  owners'  and  commanders'  names,  and 
the  complement  of  slaves  allowed  to  each: — 


Ships. 

Captains. 

Destinations. 

Owners. 

•58 

oJ3 
fcw 

Sailed. 

Fair     Peni- 

tent 

John  Gardner          Win'd  Coast 

S.McDowall&Co. 

261 

Jan.  8 

Union 

Robert  Dovvie 

Gabon 

J  .  Rackham  &  Co.  j    162 

Mercury 

John  Mill 

Win'd  Coast 

Wm.Begg&Co. 

3?o 

9 

Pilgrim 

Robert  Pince 

Do. 

R.  Leigh  &  Co. 

425 

18 

Mary 

P.  Henshall 

Angola 

J.  Rackham  &  Co.      285 

Feb.  2 

Favourite 

II.  Bennet 

Bonny 

Neilson&  Heath-  , 

cote                 666 

Kitly 

George  Walker 

Old  Calebar 

J.  &  II.  Clarke  & 

Co.                 505 

Lord  Stanley 

W.  Murdock 

Do. 

Do.                  394 

James 
Thomas 

John  Miller 
G.  Farquhar 

New  Calebar 
Angola 

W.  Dickson  &  Sons 
Neilson  &  Heath- 

337 

cote 

442 

Penelope 

Luke  Mann 

Bonny 

W.  Thompson  & 

Co.                  389 

Prince 

John  Kendall 

Angola 

J.  Smith  &  Co.        435 

Parr 

I).  Christian 

Bonny 

Thos.  Parr  &  Co.      700 

5 

Fame 

Thomas  Brade 

New  Calebar 

A.Joseph&Mozelyl  250 

18 

Abigail 

W.  Williams 

Angola 

J.  Tarleton,  junr. 

302 

Amelia  Elea- 

nor 

Edward  Duncan 

Do. 

W.Brettargh&Co. 

440 

Triton 

John  Corran 

Do. 

W.  Corran  £  Co. 

448 

28 

Anne 

John  Muir 

Cameroons 

W.  Begg  &  Co. 

300 

John 

N.  Ireland 

Do. 

Tarleton  &.  Back- 

house 

265 

Mar.  I 

Britannia 

John  Walker 

Angola 

Do. 

238 

Unity 

E.  i  ovelace 

Do. 

Jos.  Greaves  &  Co. 

IOO 

ii 

Cecilia 

1  ames  Blake 

Do. 

W.  Thompson  & 

Co. 

285 

12 

Crescent 

Thomas  lluson 

Do. 

Do. 

389 

King  George 

S.  Hensley 

Do. 

J.  Bolton  &  Co. 

55° 

2O 

Betsy 

Edward  Mosson 

Do. 

John  Bolton 

317 

Lime 

fames  Taylor 

Do. 

Geo.  Case  &  Co. 

3*7 

25 

Sally      and 

Rebecca 

Thomas  Harold 

Gold  Coast 

W.  Begg  &  Co. 

360 

George 

Alex.  Hackney 

Lagos 

F.  Ingram  &  Co. 

275 

Resource 

Edward  Clarke 

Angola 

Tarleton  &  Rigg 

37o 

Apr.  2 

*  Extracted  from  the  books  of  the  Custom-house  at  Liverpool  for  Elliot  Arthy, 
master  mariner,  and  Surgeon  in  the  African  Slave  Trade.  1  he  orthography  of  the 
original  is  followed. 


684  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 

APPENDIX    No.  XIII.— CONTINUED. 


Ships. 

Captains. 

Destinations. 

Owners. 

"c  2 

6l 
fc<75 

Sailed. 

King  Pepple 

James  Phillips 

Bonny 

Neilson  &  Heath- 

cote 

476 

Oct.  5 

Ann 

Thomas  Lee 

Do. 

Timperon,  Litt  & 

Co. 

358 

6 

Friendship 

Robt.  Catterall 

Angola 

Bell,Gibb&  Blake 

337 

21 

George 

Richard  Kellsall 

Gold  Coast 

Jos.  Ward  &  Co. 

271 

Alexander 

Wm.  Cockrall 

Angola 

T.  Sherington&Co. 

5r7 

23 

Goodrich 

H.  Kennedy 

Do. 

T.  &  H.  Clarke  & 

Co. 

2IO 

29 

11  rriot 

William  Lace 

Do. 

Do. 

313 

Trelawney 

James  Lake 

Do. 

T.  Parr  &  Co. 

467 

Neptune 

James  Williams 

Old  Calebar 

Do. 

35° 

Otter 

Alex.  Grierson 

Angola 

W.    Molyneux 

417 

Beaver 

William   Murray 

Do. 

Do. 

396 

Blanch 

Rd.  Andows 

Benin 

J.  Gibbons  &  Co. 

230 

Gascoyne 

Jenkin  Evans 

Angola 

Thomas  Parr 

444 

Perseverance 

John  Lawson 

Benin 

J.  Gibbons  &  Co. 

526 

Hannah 

Andrew  Arnold 

Angola 

Thomas  Clare 

523 

Bol  ton 

J.  Boardman 

Bonny 

John  Bolton 

432 

Nov  12 

Elizabeth 

E.  Neale 

Do. 

Do. 

461 

Jack  Park 

John  Little 

Do. 

J.  &J.  Aspinall& 

Co. 

416 

13 

Mary 

James  Herd 

Do. 

W.  Forbes  &  Co. 

419 

20 

May 

P.  Callum 

Do. 

Do. 

3°4 

Blanchard 

Geo.  Cormack 

Do. 

W.  Thompson  & 

Co. 

419 

Sarah 

R.  Jones 

Win'd  Coast 

T.&  E.L.Hodgson 

459 

Princess 

Amelia 

J.  Levingston 

Bonny 

J.  Deare  &  Co. 

464 

21 

Bird 

J.  Flint 

Do. 

Bailey,  Taylor  & 

Co. 

368 

Tonyn 

James  Towers 

Angola 

Do. 

326 

Harlequin 

J.  Topping 

Do.    . 

T.  £  W.  Earle 

275 

22 

Mary  Ann 

R.  Taylor 

New  Calebar 

Neilson,    Heath- 

cote  &  Co. 

329 

23 

Expedition 

W.  Murdoch 

Do. 

J.&H.Clarke&Co. 

354 

Dec.  6 

Hector 

W.  Stringer 

Bonny 

Thomas  Clare 

59i 

9 

Fanny 

Thos.  Croaker 

Gold  Coast 

Tarleton  £  Back- 

house 

300 

n 

Favourite 

N.  Evans 

Angola 

Jas.  Penny  &  Co. 

275 

13 

Penny 

H.  Kesack 

Do. 

Do. 

360 

L'd.  Duncan 

John  Hudson 

Benin 

S  McDovvall&Co. 

242 

Cecilia 

John  Roach 

Angola 

Thompson  &  Co. 

285 

19 

Mary 

John  Askeu 

New  Calebar 

Pole  &  Gardner 

200 

21 

Hind 

Thomas  Nuttal 

Angola 

Mullion,    Lenox 

&Co. 

355 

Adventure 

Thomas  Warren 

Do. 

Hardman,  Wright 

&  Co. 

3°7 

Mercury 

John  Mills 

Win'd  Coast 

Wm.  Begg  &  Co. 

376 

24 

Sarah 

John  Nerl 

Angola 

J.  Ward  &  Co. 

316 

31 

Ellis 

James  Soutar 

Win'd  Coast 

T.&  E.  L.  Hodgson 

437 

Jan.  2 

L'pool  Hero 

Alex.  Hackney 

Gold  Coast 

F.  Ingram  &  Co. 

870 

4 

King  George 

Jas.  Meckleghon 

Do. 

Do. 

360 

5 

APPENDIX. 


685 


APPENDIX    No.  XIII.— CONTINUED. 

On  summing  up  the  above  account,  the  total  of  ships  and  of  their  complement  of 
slaves,  together  with  the  number  of  ships  destined  for  each  place  of  trade  in  Africa, 
and  the  number  of  slaves  supplied  at  those  places  respectively,  stands  thus  : — 


Places  of  Trade. 

No.  of 
Ships. 

No.  of 
Slaves. 

Places  of  Trade. 

No.  of 
Ships. 

No.  of 
Slaves. 

Angola 

69 

23,303 

Amount  brought  up 

140 

49,696 

Bonny 

34 

14,078 

Benin 

3 

998 

Gold  Coast 

ii 

3,587 

Gabon 

3 

727 

Windward  Coast 

10 

3,278 

Cameroons 

2 

565 

New  Calebar 

10 

2,977 

Whydah 

I 

296 

Old  Calebar 

6 

2,473 

Lagos 

I 

275 

Amount  carried  up 

140 

49,696 

Total 

150 

52,557 

NOTE. — At  that  time  the  Guineamen  were  allowed  by  Act  of  Parliament  to 
carry  five  slaves  for  every  three  tons  of  their  burthen  ;  and  required  by  law  to 
take  a  proportion  of  ten  people  for  each  hundred  of  slaves,  according  to  which  the 
above  number  of  slaves  makes  the  total  tonnage  of  the  150  ships  31,533  tons,  and 
the  total  of  their  complement  of  seamen,  5,255. 


APPENDIX  No.  XIV. 

Summary  of  the  aggregate  number  of  Liverpool  ships 
employed  in  the  Guinea  trade,  together  with  the  number 
and  value  of  the  slaves  imported  to  the  West  Indies  from 
1783  to  1793  :— * 


Gross  No. 

Ships  carry- 

Number of 

Years. 

of  Ships. 

ing  Wood 
and  Teetll. 

Slave-Ships. 

Slaves. 

Sterling  Value,  t 

1783 

90 

5 

85 

39,170 

1,958,500 

1784 

64 

5 

59 

25,320 

1,266,000 

1785 

77 

4 

73 

29,490                        1,474,500 

1786 

92 

5 

87 

31,690                        1,584,500 

I787 

80 

8 

72 

25,520                        1,276,000 

1788 

74 

3 

7i 

23,200                        l,l6o,OOO 

1789 

66 

4 

62 

17,631                             881,550 

1790 

90 

I 

89 

27,362                        1,368,100 

1791 

105 

4 

101 

3','11 

1,555,550 

1792 

^36 

3 

133 

38,920 

1,946,000 

1793 

47 

i 

46 

14,323 

716,150 

921 

43 

878 

303,737 

15,186,850 

*  "  A  General  and  Descriptive  History  of  Liverpool,"  p.  222. 
t  The  author  of  the  calculations  in  arriving  at  the  value  of  a  slave,  takes  the 
average  price  in  the  West  India  market  for  eleven  years— ^"50  sterling  a  head. 


686 


THE  LIVERPOOL  SLA  VE  TRADE. 


APPENDIX  No.  XV. 

Extract  from  "A  Log  of  the  proceedings  on  board  the 
Brigg  Mampookatij  on  a  voyage  to  Ambrize,  on  the  coast 
of  Angola,"  in  the  year  1787. 


Year  1787. 
Week  Days. 

Day. 
Month. 

Winds. 

Remarks,  &c.,  in  Ambrize  Road. 

Saturday. 

8th 

Variable 

Fresh  breezes  and  clear  sent  the  Long  Boat 
with  Mr.    Smith  and   Brown  to   Marsoola    to 
trade     for     slaves.       Employed     occasionally. 
Received  on  board  one  woman  and  one  boy 
slave. 

Sunday, 

9th 

Variable 

Modrate  breezes  and   clear    weather.     Em- 
ployed starting  Beens,  &c.     Received  3  woman 
slaves  and  one  child.     No.  on  board  5. 

Monday. 

loth 

Variable 

Light  airs  &  clear.     Employed  clearing  the 
fore  Hould  &c.     Received  on  board  5  slaves, 
viz.  I  man  I  woman  I  boy  &  2  girls.      No.  10. 

Tuesday. 

nth 

Variable 

Light   breezes   and   clear.      Employed  with 
sundries  &c.     Received  on  board  6  slaves,  viz. 
I  man,  2  woman  with  childer  2  boys  <fe  I  girl. 
Total  1  6. 

We'n'sday. 

1  2th 

Variable 

Ditto  weather.    Employed  occasionally.    Re- 
ceived on  board  5  slaves,  viz.  i  boy  &  4  girls. 
Total  21. 

Thursday. 

1  3th 

Westward 

Modrate  and  clear.     Employd  stowing  casks 
in  the  Fore  Hould.     Returned  from  Marsoola 
the  Long  Boat  without  any  slaves.     Received 
from  the  Factory  3  slaves,  viz.  I  man  boy  &  2 
girls.     Total  on  board  24. 

.Friday. 

1  4th 

Variable 

Light  breezes  &  cloudy.     Employed   laying 
the   men's   platform.       Received    one    woman 
slave.     No.  on  board  25. 

Saturday. 

15th 

Variable 

Ditto  weather.     Sent  the  boat  for  Marsoola 
with  Mr.   Smith  and  Brown.     The   carpenter 
employed  making  the  Woman's  room  bulkhead. 
Received  one  woman  slave.      No.  on  board  26. 

Thursday. 

20th 

Variable 

Modrate  breezes  &  cloudy.     Arrived  in  the 
Road  ye   Union,  Capt.  Lawson  from  Burdux. 
Employed  wooding  &  watering.       Received  6 
slaves,  viz.  man  2  men  boys,  2  boys,  and  I  girl. 
Total  39. 

APPENDIX. 

APPENDIX    No.  XV.— CONTINUED. 


687 


Year  1787. 
Week  Days. 

Day. 

Month. 

Winds. 

Remaiks,  &c.,  in  Ambrize  Road. 

Friday. 

2ISt 

Variable 

Ditto  weather.      Employed  as  before.      The 
carpenter  building  the  Barricade  on  the  main 
deck.     Received  two  men  boys  slaves.     No.  on 
board  41. 

Monday. 

24th 

Variable 

Ditto    weather.       Received    one    man    boy 
slave  and  one  tooth  weighs  iialo.  I  two  pieces 
2510.     Slaves  on  board  43- 

Thursday. 

Oct. 

4th 

Variable 

Modrate  and  cloudy.     Sailed  a  French  ship, 
Captain  Granier,  for  Cape  Francois  with  250 
slaves.      Received  i  man  and  man  boy.    Total 
on  board  49,  all  well. 

Monday. 

Nov. 
26th 

Variable 

Fresh  breezes  and  cloudy  with  rain.     Em- 
ployed with  sundries  &c.     Died  one  man  boy 
slave   of  the  fever  after  a  sickness  of  6  days. 
Slaves  on  board  153,  all  well. 

H 

K 

F 

Courses. 

Wind. 

Remarks,  &c. 

10 

6 

5 

WSN 

SSW 

January    1st,    1788.     Modrate    breezes    & 

cloudy.      Employed  occasionally.     Buried    2 

inen  slaves  No.  3.  Slaves  on  board  193.* 

Lattd  pr  Obs"  5°  36"  south. 

8 

7 

3 

WBN  ^N 

SEES 

Sunday  Jany  6th  1  788.    Buried  a  man  slave 

of  the  flux  and  fever  &c. 

9 

i 

2 

N  by  W 

SSE 

Light  airs   inclinable   to   calms.     Washed 

the  rooms  and  slaves,  &c.     Jany  nth  1788. 

Sunday   February  3rd,  1788,  anchored    in 

Carlisle  Bay  in  8  fathom  water.     Slaves  on 

board  192  all  well.     Received  a  quantity  of 

vegetables  on  board  for  the  slaves,  &c. 

Tuesday  Feby  5th  1788.      Got  under  way 

and  made  sail. 

6 

Feby   I3th.     In   Woodbridge  Bay  Domi- 

nica several   gentlemen   came   on    board   to 

look  at  the  slaves. 

Feb  14th.     Sold  1  88  slaves  to  Mr.  Forbes 

of  St  Christopher's.     At  loa.m.  delivered  80 

men  &  women  on  board  a  sloop.     Remains 

on  board  112. 

Saturday   i6th.     Delivered  to  Mr.  Forbes 

108  slaves,   total,    188.      Remains  on  board 

4  viz.  2  men,  I  woman,  &  I  boy. 

*  She  left  the  coast  on  December,  2ist,  1787,  with  195  slaves. 


688  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLAVE  TRADE. 


APPENDIX  No.  XV.— 
Having"  taken  in  a  cargo  of  sugar,  cotton,  coffee,  and  cocoa, 
the  ship  sailed  for  England,  and  arrived  in  Liverpool  on  the 
loth  of  April,  1788.  The  logbook  is  adorned  with  water-colour 
drawings  of  the  brig,  and  of  the  coast  scenery,  together  with  a 
pencil  sketch  of  a  gentleman  in  a  cocked  hat  and  pigtail,  forming 
an  exceptional  specimen  of  maritime  caligraphy.  It  is  now  in 
the  possession  of  T.  H.  Dixon,  Esq.,  The  Clappers,  Gresford. 

APPENDIX  No.  XVI. 

CHARACTER  OF  THE  SEAMEN  IN  THE  SLAVE  TRADE.* 

"  With  respect  to  the  mortality  amongst  the  crews  of 
African  ships,  it  must  be  taken  into  account  that  many  of  the 
individuals  composing  them  were  the  very  dregs  of  the  com- 
munity. Some  of  them  had  escaped  from  jails  :  others  were 
undiscovered  offenders,  who  sought  to  withdraw  themselves 
from  their  country,  lest  they  should  fall  into  the  hands  of  the 
officers  of  justice.  These  wretched  beings  used  to  flock  to  Liver- 
pool when  the  ships  were  fitting  out,  and,  after  acquiring  a  few 
sea  phrases  from  some  crimp  or  other,  they  were  shipped  as 
ordinary  seamen,  though  they  had  never  been  at  sea  in  their 
lives.  If,  when  at  sea,  they  became  saucy  and  insubordinate, 
which  was  generally  the  cas&,  the  officers  were  compelled  to 
treat  them  with  severity  ;  and  having  never  been  in  a  warm 
climate  before,  if  they  took  ill,  they  seldom  recovered,  though 
every  attention  was  paid  to  them.  Amongst  these  wretched 
beings  I  have  known  many  gentlemen's  sons  of  desperate 
character  and  abandoned  habits,  who  had  either  fled  for  some 
offence,  or  had  so  involved  themselves  in  pecuniary  embarrass- 
ments, as  to  have  become  outcasts,  unable  to  procure  the 
necessaries  of  life.  For  my  own  part  I  was  always  very  lucky 
in  procuring  good  crews,  and  consequently  the  charge  of  great 
mortality  could  not  apply  to  my  ships.  The  deaths  in  the 
Kitty's  Amelia  were  attributable  to  the  culpable  neglect  of 
others,  the  consequences  of  which  we  could  neither  foresee  nor 
control." 

*  Memoirs  of  Hugh  Crow. 


APPENDIX.  689 

APPENDIX  No.  XVII. 
FOOD  OF  THE  SLAVES.* 

.  "  It  may  not  be  uninteresting  to  the  reader  to  learn  with 
what    kind    of  provisions    the    negroes    were    supplied.      We 
frequently  bought  from  the  natives  considerable  quantities  of 
dried  shrimps  to  make  broth  ;   and  a  very  excellent  dish  they 
made,  when  mixed  with  flour  and  palm  oil,  and  seasoned  with 
pepper  and  salt.     Both  whites  and  blacks  were  fond  of  this 
mess.      In  addition  to  yams  we  gave  them,  for  a  change,  fine 
shelled  beans  and  rice  cooked  together,  and  this  was  served  up 
to  each  individual  with  a  plentiful  proportion  of  the  soup.     On 
other  days  their  soup  was  mixed  with  peeled  yams,  cut  up  thin 
and  boiled,    with   a  proportion  of  pounded  biscuit.     For  the 
sick  we  provided  strong  soups  and  middle  messes,  prepared 
from  mutton,  goats'  flesh,   fowls,   &c.,  to  which  were  added 
sago  and  lilipees,  the  whole  mixed  with  port  wine  and  sugar. 
I  am  thus  particular  in  describing  the  ingredients  which  com- 
posed the  food  of  the  blacks,  to  show  that  no  attention  to  their 
health   was    spared   in   this  respect.     Their  personal  comfort 
was  also  carefully  studied.     On  their  coming  on  deck,  about  8 
o'clock    in   the   morning,   water  was   provided  to  wash  their 
hands  and  faces,   a   mixture    of  lime  juice   to   cleanse    their 
mouths,  towels  to  wipe  with,  and  chew  sticks  to  clean  their 
teeth.     These  are  generally  pieces  of  young  branches  of  the 
common    lime,   or  of  the  citron  of  sweet  lime  tree,  the  skin 
of  which  is  smooth,  green,  and   pleasantly  aromatic.      They 
are  used  about  the  thickness  of  a  quill,  and  the   end  being 
chewed,  the  white,  fine  fibre  of  the  wood  soons  forms  a  brush, 
with  which  the  teeth  may  be  effectually  cleaned  by  rubbing  them 
up  and  down.     These  sticks  impart  an  agreeable  flavour  to  the 
mouth,  and  are  sold  in  the  public  markets  of  the  West  Indies, 
in  little  bundles  for  a  mere  trifle.     A  dram  of  brandy  bitters 
was  given  to  each  of  the  men,  and  clean  spoons  being  served 
out,  they  breakfasted  about  nine  o'clock.      About   eleven,   if 
the  day  were  fine,  they  washed  their  bodies  all  over,  and  after 
wiping  themselves  dry,  were  allowed  to  use    palm    oil,  their 

2X 


690  THE  LIVERPOOL  SLAVE  TRADE. 

favourite  cosmetic.  Pipes  and  tobacco  were  then  supplied  to 
the  men,  and  beads  and  other  articles  were  distributed  amongst 
the  women  to  amuse  them,  after  which  they  were  permitted  to 
dance,  and  run  about  on  deck  to  keep  them  in  good  spirits. 
A  middle  mess  of  bread  and  cocoa  nuts,  was  given  them  about 
mid-day.  The  third  meal  was  served  out  about  three  o'clock, 
and  after  everything  was  cleaned  out  and  arranged  below,  for 
their  accommodation,  they  were  generally  sent  down  about 
four  or  five  in  the  evening.  Indeed  I  took  great  pains  to 
promote  the  health  and  comfort  of  all  on  board,  by  proper  diet, 
regularity,  exercise,  and  cleanliness  ;  for  I  considered  that  on 
keeping  the  ship  clean  and  orderly,  which  was  always  my 
hobby,  the  success  of  our  voyage  mainly  depended.  " 

*  From  this  gracious  picture,  drawn  by  Captain  Crow,  a  model  commander, 
under  the  more  humane  regulations  of  the  closing  years  of  the  trade,  the  reader 
must  not  imagine  that  such  paternal  care  was  general. 


INDEX     TO     NAMES     OF     PERSONS 

MENTIONED    IN    THIS    WORK. 


A 

Abberton,  Lieut.,  199 
Accra,  Prince,  494 
Adams,  Capt.,  253,  257 
Affleck,    Capt.    Lutwidge, 

384  to  387 
Affleck,   Capt.  Wm.,  433, 

435,  436 

Aickin,  Wm. ,  376 
Aikin,  Dr.,  184 
Ainsworth,  Capt.  Jno.,  373 
Allanson,  Capt.,  207,  237, 

253 
Allen,     Capt.,     W.      H., 

446—448 

Alexander,  Capt.  C.,  199 
Amery,  Capt,  218,  254 
Anderson,  Alex.,  66 j 
Ansdell,  John,  155 
Archer,  Capt.,  284 
Argyll,  Earl  of,  357 
Armitage,  R.,  155 
Arthy.  tlliot,  608 
Ash,  Capt.,  250,  251,  263, 

291 

Ashburn,  Capt.,  252 
Ash  burner,  Capt.,  210 
Ashburner,  Mr.,  318 
Ashton,  Capt.,  227,  278 
Ashton  &  Co.,   225,  227, 

668 

Ashlon,  Jno.,  155 
Ashton,  Nicholas,  225,  668 
Aspinall,  Wm.,  634,  635, 

637,  649 

Aspinall,  Thos. ,  645 
Aspinall,  James,  662 
Atherton,  Mr.,  82,  94,  311 

B 

Backhouse,  Capt.,  285 
Backhouse,    Daniel,    279, 

668 
Backhouse,  John,  155 


Backhouse,      Thomas      & 

John,  82 
Backhouse  &  Co. ,  J. ,  203, 

237,  669 

Bailie,  Capt.,  481 
Baines,  Ed.,  472 
Baines,  Capt.  Dan.,  126 
Baker,  Mr.  (Mayor),  240 
Baker    &    Dawson,     239, 

240,  242,  663,  668,  669 
Baldwin,  Capt.,  387,  401 
Baldwin,  Lieut.,  199 
Ball,  Capt.,  263 
Banks,  Capt.,  493 
Barber,  Capt.  Walter,  118, 

119 

Barley,  Capt.,  548 
Barnard,    Capt.    Tristram, 

331 

Barnes,  John,  613,  614 
Barr,  Henry,  31 
Barton,  Capt.  Jas.,  196,  198 
Barton,  John,  568,  569 
Barton,    Thos.,   305,  306, 

3",  366 
Barton,  Higginson  &  Co., 

602 

Barry,  Capt.,  387,  423 
Bassnett,  Nathl.,  82 
Beard,  Capt.,  229 
Beasley,  Capt.,  306 
Beattie,  Dr.,  567 
Beatty,  James,  353 
Beaver,  Capt.,  237,  252 
Begg,  Mr.,  445 
Bell,  Capt.,  255,  360 
Benn,  Capt.,  113 
Benson,  Moses,  337 
Bent,    Capt.    Theophilus, 

368 

Bentley,  Capt.,  199 
Berry,  Mr.,  148,  149 
Berry,  Capt.  lames,  533 
Berry,  Capt.  John,  198 
Bewsher,  Capt,,  26g 
Beynon,  Capt.,  244,  245, 

280 


Bibby,  Capt.,  417 
Biddle,  Capt.  Nich.,  198 
Bier,  James,  190 
Hillinge,  Thomas,  143 
'Jinns,    Dr.  J.,   570,    575, 

578 

l>irch,  Capt.,  156 
Birch  &  Co.,  236,  254,  668, 

669 

Birch,  Thomas,  311,  562 
Bird,     Capt.,    331,     362, 

364 

Bird,  Henry,  145 
Bird,  Joseph,  82 
Bishop,  Capt,  543,  545 
Black,  Patrick,  543  to  547 
Blackburne,  Mr.,  556 
Blundell,  Bryan,  136,  144, 

264 
Blundell,  Lieut. -Col.,  275, 

327 

Blundell,  Henry,  327,  613 
Blundell,  Nicholas,  268 
Blundell,  Mr.,  562 
Blythe,  Mr.,  124 
Boardman,  Capt.,  360 
Boats     &    Gregson,    217, 

257,  668 

Boats  &  Seaman,  306 
Boats  (or  Boates),  William, 

150,  484,  485,  628 
Boates,  H.  E.,  485 
Bogle  and  Jopp,  600,  603 
Bold,  Jonas,  562 
Bold  &  Co.,  Jonas,  270 
Bold,  Obadiah,  115 
Bolden  cS:  Co. ,  227,  668 
Bolton,  John,  388 
Bompard,  Citizen,  311 
Bonsall,  Capt,  231,  233, 

286,  329 

Bonaparte,  387,  388,  406 
Borrowdale,    Capt,    275, 

276 

Boscawen,  Admiral,  131 
Bostock,  Robert,  234,  605, 

606 


692 


INDEX  TO  NAMES. 


Bosworth,  Capt. ,  332,  342, 

418 

Bourne,  Peter,  559 
Bower,  Capt.,  219,  314 
Boyd,  Capt.,  358,  563 
Boyd,  &  Co.  W.,  530 
Bradley,  Capt.,  309 
Brancker,  Peter  W.,  389, 

613,  614,  617 
Brailsford,  Capt.,  329 
Brelsford,  Capt.,  368 
Brereton,  Humphrey,  33 
Brettargh  &  Co.,  369 
Brideson,  Paul,  485 
Bridge,  John,  155 
Briggs,  Capt.,  263,  293 
Brighouse,  Capt.,  254,  553 
Brison,  Capt    190,  192 
Brooke,  Humfraye,  34 
Brooke,  Richard,  531,  580, 

592 
Brooks,  Joseph £  Jonathan, 

151,  152 

Brooks,  John,  82 
Brooks,  jr.,  Joseph,  562, 

664 

Brooks  &  Co.,  248,  668 
Brotherston  and  Begg,  445 
Broughton  &  Smith,  531 
Brown,    Capt.,    103,  244, 

292,  339 

Brown,  Capt.  James,  354 
Brown,  Mr.  562 
Brown,  James,  155 
Brown  &  Jones,  669 
Brown,  William,  604 
Buckland,  Frank,  140 
Buckley,  Mr.,  264 
Buddecombe,  Capt.  Wm., 

200 

Buddicome,  Capt.,  255 
Bullin,  R.,  600,  604,  605 
Bulkeley,  81 
Burgess,  Capt.,  299 
Burnaby,  Sir  Wm.,  56 
Burns,  Sir  Geo.,  359 
Burrows,  Capt.,  170,  294 
Bushell,  Capt.,  333 
Butler,  Capt,  266,  282 
Byng,  Admiral,  55,  62 
Byrne,    Capt.,    20 1,    250, 

282,  315,  332 
Byron,  Lord,  35 


Caine,  Hall,  626 
Caitcheon,  Capt.,  305 
Calcraft,  General,  224,  264 


Calder,  Sir  Robt. ,  400 
Campo  Florida,  Prince  of, 

46 

Campbell,  Capt  ,  288,  359 
Campbell,  George,  88,  90, 

92  to  94,  155 
Campbell  &    Sons,   Geo., 

155 

Cannell,  Capt.,  316 
Caruthers  &  Co. ,  229,  669 
Garuthers,    Jas.,    19,   562, 

663 

Carruthers,  Capt.,  126 
Carver,  J. ,  664 
Cams,  Capt.  Chr. ,  491 
Case,  Geo.,  562 
Case  &  Co.,  J.  D.,  419 
Case,  Thomas,  562 
Cash,  Capt,  312 
Cassedy,  Capt.  R. ,  210 
Catlett,  Mary,  496  to  498, 

502,  503,  505,  506 
Catterall,  Capt,  348 
Cazneau  &  Marlin,  663 
Chaffers,   Capt.,    19,   547, 

550,  576 
Chalmers,     Capt.     Thos. , 

493 

Chambers,  Capt.,  Tas. ,  135 
Chamley  &  Co.,  Edmund, 

363 

Champion,  Capt.,  157 
Champlin,  Capt,  445 
Chapman,  Capt,  272 
Charlemont,  Earl  of,  68,  69 
Cheshire,  Robt,  155 
Chorley  &  Co.,  668 
Christian,  Capt,  331,  631, 

634 

Clare,  Mr.  449 
Clare,  Capt,  359 
Clarke,  Capt.  Joseph,  148, 

149 

Clarke,  John,  620 
Clarke,  Thos.,  351,  592 
Clarkson,  Hy. ,  662 
Clarkson,       Rev.      Thos. 

(see  general  index) 
Clatworthy,  Capt.,  David, 

104,  106,  210 
Clay  &  Co.,  Robt,  104 
Clayton  family,  163 
Clunie,  Capt.,  514,  515 
Clegg,  James,  155 
Clement,  Mr.  252,  669 
Clemens,  Jas.,  1^5 
Clough,  Capt,  287.  293 
Clowes  i*-  Co.,  Jno.  663 
Coggleshall,    Capt,    431, 

433,  442 


Cole&  Co.,  J.,  530 
Coleman,  Jno.,  663 
Colley,  Capt,  245,  252 
Collier,  Sir   George,  202, 

452,  453 

Collingwood,  Capt.,  568 
Collins,  Capt.,  290 
Collinson,  Capt,  211,  212, 

246 
Collison,      Capt.,       195, 

293 

Colquitt,  Scroop,  155 
Coinyn,  Capt,  49 
Coppell,  Capt  J.,  104 
Corf,  Wm.,  663 
Cork,  Earl  of,  171 
Corran,  Capt.,  331 
Corrie,  Edgar,  19,  663 
Cornwallis,  Jas. ,  353 
Cotter,  Mr.  J.,  27,  28,  30, 

66 1 
Coulthard,   Capt.,   272  to 

275 

Coupland,  Mr.,  576,  577 
Cowell,  Capt.,  236 
Cowell,  Mr.  Peter,  241 
Cowper,  Wm.,  498,    518, 

525,  554,  594 
Cook,  Capt.,  199,  270 
Cooke,  Capt.,  Danl. ,  492 
Cooke,  G.  F.,  594 
Cooper,   Capt,   252,  253, 

295,  547,  548 
Crabbe,  Mr.,  353 
Creighton,  Capt,  105 
Creasey,  James,  305 
Creevey,  Capt.  Wm  ,  482, 

483,  489,  490,  494 
Creevey,  M.P.,  T.,  489 
Cribb,  Richd.,  264 
Croasdale,  Capt,  371 
Cropper,  Edward,  82,  493 
Crosbie,  James,  82 
Crosbie,  Mr.,  93 
Crosbie,  John,  155 
Crosbie,  J.  &  W.,  550 
Crosbie,  Wm.,  562 
Crosbie  &  Greenwood,  246 

248,  668,  669 
Crosbies  &  Trafford,  488 
Crosby,  Wm.  155 
Crosdale,  Barrow  &  Co., 

261 

Crowder,  Thos.,  554 
Crowley,  Capt.,  448 
Crow,  Capt.  (see  general 

index) 

Cudd,  Capt.,  341 
Cummins,  Capt,  368 
Cunard.  Sir  Samuel,  359 


INDEX  TO  NAMES. 


693 


Cunliffe   &   Sons,    Foster, 

82,  676 

Cunliffe,  Robert,  155 
Cunliffe,  Stanton&  Craven, 

88 

Cunningham,  Capt.,  379 
Currie,  Capt.,  230,  231 
Currie,  Dr.  Jas.,  133,  568. 

571  to  575 
Currie,  W.  W.,  572 
Curwen,  Samuel,  281 
Curwin,  Capt.,  256 
Cusack,  Capt.,  372,  373 
Cuthbert  &  Beans,  487. 
Cuthbert,  Capt.  Wm.,  95 
Cutler,  Capt.",  369,  370 

D 

Dalzell,  Archd.,  611 
Danks,  Capt.,  35 
Dannett,  Rev.  Hy.,  574 
Darling,  Capt.,  215 
Dartmouth,  Lord,  527 
Dashwood,  Major,  172 
Daulby,  Daniel,  570 
Davenport,  Mr.,  547 
Davenport    &    Co,,    253, 

254,  669 
Davies,   Capt.,   206,    252, 

328 

Davies,  Dale  &  Co.,  386 
Dawson,  Capt.,   199,  228, 

239,     241,    242,    254, 

285,  560 

Dawson,  Mr.,  616,  628 
Day,    Capt.    W.,    90,   91, 

92,  209 

Dean,  Capt.,  201,  401 
Deane,  Edward,  119 
Decatur,  Commodore,  447, 

452.  453 

De  la  Motte,  Capt.,  105 
Denison,  Wm.,  19 
Denison  &  Co.  Jos.,  24,  25 
Denny,  Capt.,  219,  272 
Derby,  Earl  of,  32  to  34 
Derrick,  S.,  171 
Despart,  Lieut.,  264 
D'Estaign,  Count,  219 
De  Wolf,  Jas.,  448 
Dick,  Consul,  56,  57 
Dickson,  Capt,,  363 
Digby,  Admiral,  267 
Dillon  &  Leyland,  19,  663 
Dillwyn,  Wm.,  568 
Dobson,  Jno..  562. 
Dooling,  Capt.,  284,  285 
Doran,  Felix,  605 


Douglas,  Mr.,  118,  353 
Dowling,  Pat.,  291 
Doyle,   Capt.,  257,  287, 

.547 

Drinkwater,  Geo.,  155 
Drink  water   &    Co.,    231, 

668 

Drinkwater  family,  559 
Duck,    Capt.    Isaac,    376, 

377 

Dunbar,  Thos.,  264 
Dunlop,  Capt.,  355 
Dunn,  Capt.,  399 
Durand,  Felix,  427 
Darning,  Robt.,  132 


E 

Eagles,  Thos.,  19 
Earle,  Thos.,  19,  192,  609 
Earle,  Wm. ,  19,  155,  389 
Earle  &  Sons,  Wm. ,  279, 

662 

Earle  &  Co.,  287,  668 
Earle  &  Molyneux,  663 
Earle,  T.  &  W.,  131,  342, 

365-  547 

Earle,  Ralph,  15^ 
Eaton,  Jno.,  663 
Edie,  David,  82 
Edmondson,  Capt..  39 
Egerton,  Capt.,  308 
Ellenborough,   Lord,  415, 

416 

Elliott,  Capt.,  173 
Entwistle,  Jno.,  82 
Erskine,  Capt.,  368,  549 
Erskine,  of  Alva,  Sir  John, 

478 

Evans,  Capt.,  219,  290 
Evelyn,  Jno.,  43,  44 
Every,  Capt.  S.,  365,  366, 

387 

Ewarts,  The,  241 
Ewart  &  Litt,  93 
Ewart  &  Rutson,  306 


Fairweather,    Capt.,    227, 

547,  548,  566 
Falconbridge,     Mr.,    577, 

578,  579 

Farmer,  Capt.  Jas.,  337 
Farquhar,  Capt.,  314,  335, 

3.36 
Farrington,  Capt.,  313 


Fayrer,   Capt.,    229,    286, 

315 

Fell,  Capt.,  247,  287 
Field,  Capt.,  190 
Finlayson,  Capt.  Jas.,  384 
Fisher,  Capt.,  247,  282 
Fisher,  Capt.  Ralph,  230, 

231 
Fitzroy,  Lady  Anne,  330, 

629 
Forbes,     Capt.     Edward, 

210,  211 

Ford,  Capt.,  197,  332 
Ford,  Lieut.,  333 
Forrest,  Capt.,  313 
Forsyth,  Capt.  John,  279 
Fortescue,  Capt.,  170 
Foster,  Capt.  Geo.,  123 
Fowden  &  Berry,  246,257, 

667,  669 

Fowler,  Capt.,  40,  63,  89 
Fox,  Capt.,  337 
Fox,  Mr.  612,  616,  619, 
Foxcroft    &    Co.,    Thos., 

605-607 
Flanagan,  Capt.,  308,  344, 

345 
Fletcher,  Capt.,  246,  329, 

338 

Fleetwood,  Robt.,  17 
Fleetwood,  Wm.,  155 
Fleming    Capt.,  310 
Floyd,  Capt.,  536,  542 
France  &  Co.,  247,   254, 

668,  669 

France,    Fletcher  &  Co., 

393 

France,  James,  668 
France  &  Nephew,  264 
Frankland,  >ir  Thos.,  143 
Franklin,    Dr.,    193,   456, 

457 

Franklin,  Capt.,  449 
Fraser,  Mr.,  393 
Frears,  Capt.,  407,  409 
Freeland  Peter,  19,  668 
Frierson,  Capt.,  156 
Frith,  Capt.,  195.  196 
Fryer,  Capt.  E.,  88,  89 


Galley,  Jno.,  280 
Gardner,  Capt.,  218,  244 
Garnett,  Capt.  Wm.,  270 

271 

Gascoyn,  Mr.,  29 
Gascoyne,  Bamber,  612 


694 


INDEX  TO  NAMES. 


Gascoyne,    General.    613, 

618 

Gawith,  Capt.,  122 
Genet,  Citizen,  312 
Gibbons,  Capt.,  219 
Gibson.  Capt.,  330,  420 
Gibson,  Capt.  Peter,  102 
Gibson,  Capt.  Wm. ,    628 

629 
Gilhody,  Capt.,  267,  293, 

316 

Gildart,  Francis,  562 
Gildart,  Jas.,  155. 
Gill,  Capt,  480,  481 
Gill,  Capt.  Wm.,  278,  279 
Gill,  Dr.,  1 10 
Given,  Mr.,  271,  272 
Gladhill,  J.,  664 
Gladstone,  Sir  John,  339, 

364,  385,  386,  449 
Gladstone,  Rt.  Hon.  W.  E. 

364,  570,  656 
Gladstone,  Capt.,  360 
Glover,  J.,  664 
Godsall,  Geo.,  151 
Goldsworthy,    Consul,    46 

-48 

Golightly,  Richd.,  82 
Goodall,  Capt.,  398 
Goodwin,   Wm.    (Mayor), 

161 
Goore,    Chas.,    82,     155, 

488 

Goore  &  Bulkeley,  81 
Gordon,  Capt.,  168 
Gordon,  Jas.,  82 
Gordon,  Lieut. -Col.,  223 
Gorrell,  Jno.,  155,  674 
Gore,  Jno.,  17,  18 
Granby,    Marchioness    of, 

225,  226 
Granby,   Marquis  of,  225, 

265,  668 
Grandy  King  George,  542 

to  547 
Graham,  Capt.,  201,  263, 

36i 
Grahme,    Capt.    \\.,   379) 

38o 

Graves,  Admiral,  276,  277 
Graves,  Chr.,  264 
Grayson,     Edward,     354, 

663 

Grayson  &  Ross,  663 
Greaves,  Capt.,  300 
Greaves,  Wm.,  264 
Green,  Capt.,  472 
Green,  Robt. ,  488 
Green,  Saml.,  613,  614 
Greenwood,  Mr.,  562 


Gregson,  Wm.,  i55>  554> 

562 
Gregson  &  Co.,  234,  567, 

668 

Gregson,  Bridge  &  Parke, 
^    93,  127,  669 
Grierson,  Capt.,  334,  335, 

368 
Grimshaw,     Capt.,      120, 

121,  251 

Grimshaw,  Mr.,  562 
Grubb,  Capt.,  148,  149 
Gudgeon    &    Co.,    Thos., 

342 

Guinall,  Capt.,  Thos.,  198 
Gullin,  Capt.,  308,  353 
Gurley,  Capt.,  269 
Gwyn,    Capt.    Augustine, 

103 

Gwyn  &  Case,  487 
Gyles,   Capt.  John,  96  to 

100 

H 

Hackney,  Capt.,  367 
Hadwen,  Isaac,  575 
Haffey,  Capt.,  124 
Halifax,  Marquis  of,  624 
Hall,  Capt.,  317,  318,  331, 

Hall&  Co.,  251,  668 
Halley,  Dr.,  137 
Halliday  &  Dunbar,    122, 

155 

Hallock.  Capt.  J.,  199 
Halsall  family,  92 
Hamilton,  Capt..  317 
Hammer,  Jno.,  155 
Hammond,  Capt.,  257 
Handyside,  Capt,.  340 
Hanna,  Capt  ,  328 
Harden,  Capt.,  105,  106 
Harding,  Capt.,  255 
Hardman,  John,  82 
Hardware,     Henry,      127 

134,  155 

Hard  war  &  Co. ,  Hy. ,  95 
Harley,  Miss  M.,  375,  376 
Harman,  Capt.  Abraham, 

105 

Harper,  W.,  628 
Harris,  Capt.,  199 
Harris,     Rev.     Raymond, 

572—575.  620 
Harrison,  Capt.,  252,  254, 

360,  488 

Harrison,  Geo.,  568 
Harrison,  Henry,  492 


Hart,  Capt.,  336 
Hartley,  M. P.,  David,  567 
Hartley,  Mr.,  231 
Hartley  &  Co.,  230,  237, 

252,  668,  669 
Hasseldine,  Capt.,  267 
Haslam,  Capt,  Jas.,  18,  21, 

24,    26,    30,    31,    178, 

249,  66 1,  663 
Hawke,   Sir  Edward,  41, 

55.  56,  87,  131 
Hawkesbury,    Lord,    573> 

611 

Hawkins,  Capt.,  84,  398 
Hawkins,   Sir  John,   465, 

466 

Hayward,  Capt.,  359 
Headlam,  Geo.,  264 
Heavysides,  Capt.,  312 
Heinsen,  Capt.,  396 
Hemans,  Mrs.,  252,  668 
Henderson  &  Sellar,  362 
Hesketh,  Robt.,  155 
He  wan,  Capt.,  294 
Hewin,  Capt.,  236 
Hewitt,  Capt.,  313 
Hewston,  Capt.,  91 
Heywood,  Benson,  &  Co., 

82 

Heywood  &  Co. ,  254,  565 
Heywood,  A.  &  B.,   155, 

562 

Hibberts,  Messrs.,  487 
Hicks,  Capt.  John,  199 
Higgin,  Capt.,  343 
Higgins,  Capt.,  403 
Hk'ginson,  Capt.,  562 
Hill,  Capt.  Hugh,  248 
Hill,  Capt.  Wm. ,  442-444 
Hindley,     Leigh,    &    Co., 

235,  244,  668,  669 
Hinman,     Capt.     Elisha, 

190,  191,  192,  199 
Hird,  Capt.,  362 
Hoare,  Samuel,  568 
Hobson  &  Co.,  413 
Hodge,  Capt.  Jno.,  199 
Hodgett,  Bartley,  476 
Hodgson,  Mr.,  375,  562 
Hodson,  "  Count,"  635 
Holland,  Capt,  216,  228, 

229,  267 

Holland,  Capt,  Benj.  169 
Holland,  Capt.  Nehemiah, 

79,  80,  205,  240 
Holland,  Samuel,  240 
Holland,  Viscount,  240 
Holland,  Walter,  240 
Hollinshead,     Lieut-Col. , 

389 


INDEX  TO  NAMES. 


695 


Holden,  Richd.,  137,  141, 

142 

Holme,  Peter,  160 
Holme,  Capt.,  170 
Holme  &  Co.,  669 
Holme,  Bowyer,  &  Ken- 

nion,  229,  669 
Holt,  Chief  Justice,  553 
Holt,  Geo.,  132 
Holt  \-  Co.,  F.,  663 
Holt  family,  132 
Holt,  James,  132 
Hollywood,  Capt.,  317 
Hood,  Commodore,  395 
Hooper,  Joseph,  568 
Hooton,  Capt.,  198 
Hope,  Capt.,  480 
Hope,  Samuel,  132 
Hopkins,  Admiral,  Ezek., 

191,  192 
Horn  &  Sill,  24 
Houghton,     Capt.     Seth, 

155,  156,  219 
Howard,    Capt.    G.,   436, 

438 

Howard,  John,  164 
Howe,  Lord,  327 
Hoysted,    Capt.    Hacker, 

199 

Hue,  Capt.,  377 
Hughes,  Rev.  Mr.,  574 
Hughes,  John,  155 
Hughes  &  Co.,  669 
Hughes    &    Tobins,    436, 

442 

Hulton  &  Co. ,  Jno. ,  98 
Hulton  &  Foxcroft,  662 
Humphrey,  Capt.,  253 
Hunter,  Capt.  Jas.,  361 
Hurst,  Win.,  82 
Huskisson,  Win.,  356 
Huston,  Capt.,  306 
Hutchinson,    Capt.,    272, 

310,  312 
Hutchinson,    Capt.    Win., 

(see  general  index) 
Hyatt,  Capt.,  255 
Hymers,  Capt.  W.,  418 


I 


Ingram  k  Co.,  Francis,  21, 

'  25,  30,  31,  249,  668 
Ingram,    Francis,    19,   23, 

26,  30,  178,  562 
Ingram,  Capt.  Wm.,  172 
Irlam,  Capt.  Jno.,  440 


Jackson,  Capt,  235,  266, 

482,  483,  543,  545 
Jackson,  Joseph,  82 
James  &  Co.,  Gabriel,  397, 

557 
James,    Capt,    311,    359, 

412 

James,  Capt.  Josiah,  199 
James,  Wm.,  557,  558 
Jefferson,  193,  458,  459 
Jenkins,  Capt,  479 
Jenkinson,  Capt. ,  480,  494 
Johnson,    Capt.,  40,    102, 

172,  565,  566 
Johnson,  Jas.,  663 
Johnston,  Capt,  359 
Jolly,  Capt.,  2 1 6,  217,257, 

547 

Jones,    Capt  ,    202,    239, 
313,    328,    332,     337, 

347,  493 

Jones,  Henry,  35 
Jones,  Commodore  J.  Paul, 

199, 223,  248,  262,  263 
Jones,  Capt.  Reeves,  116 
Jones,  Thos.,  541 
Jordan,  Capt.,  295 
Joynson,  Capt.  Moses,  392 


K 

Kaye,  Jno.,  663,  664 
Keene,  Capt,  413 
Kelsall.  Capt.,  313 
Kelsick,  Capt.,  364 
Kelly,    Capt.,     152,    295, 

313 

Kelly,  Thos.,  488 
Kendall,  Capt.,  233,  234, 

331,  448,  668 
Kennan,   Capt.,  438,  439, 

440 

Kennion  &  Co.,  250,  669 
Kennion,  Jno. ,  667 
Kent,  Mrs.  Eliz.,  240 
Kent,  Richd.,  669 
Kenyon,  David,  171,  476 
Kenyon,  James,  318 
Keppel,  Admiral,  239 
Kershaw,  Nathan,  84 
Kevish,  Capt.,  157 
Kewley,  Mr.,  393 
King  Holiday,  650 
King  Pepple,  638,  657 


Labbar,  Capt.,  549 

Lace.      Capt.      Ambrose, 

486,  542  to  550,  615 
Lace,  Joshua,  549,  615 
Lace,  Capt.  William,  362, 

614  615 
Lady  Bessie,  33 
Lake  &  Brown,  401 
Lamb,  Chas. ,  572 
Langshaw,  Ed.,  151 
Latham,  Capt.,  299 
Lathom,  Isabel  of,  33 
Laughton,  Capt.  Jno.,  445, 

446 
Laughton     Prof.,  42,    43, 


45,  48 
Lawrence 
Lawrence 
Lawrence 


56,  275,  276 
Chas.,  241 
G.  H.,  241 
W.  F.,  241 


Lawson,     Capt.,    482    to 

484,  603 

Leavy,  Capt.,  393,  395 
Lee,  Capt.,  218,  257,  616 
Leece,  Win.,  559 
Leece,  Miss,  559 
Leigh,    Capt,    199,    278, 

359 

Leigh,  Geo.,  264 
Leigh,  James,  662,  664 
Leigh,  Thomas,  264 
Leighs    of    Oughtrington. 

148 

Lethwayte,  Capt.  W.,  156 
Lewis,    Capt,    395,    412, 

420 
Lewtas,    Capt.,   224,  254, 

398 
Leyland,   Thos.,   592,  599 

to  608,  617,  620 
Leyland    &    Co.,    Thos., 

600,  603  to  605,  607 
Leyland,  Clarke  &  Roscoe, 

620 

Lievsey,  Capt,  491 
Ligoe,  M.,  663 
Linnecar,  Capt.,  492 
l.iversley  &  Co.,  668 
Lloyd,  Capt,  297 
Lloyd,  John,  568 
Lok, John,  465 
Lovell,  Morson  &  Co.,  550 
Lowndes,  Capt,  123,  494 
Lowndes,   Edward,  31,  82 
Lowndes,  Chas.,  82,  488 
Loy.  Capt,  123 
Lutwidge,  Chas.,  26g 
Lyon,  Capt.,  219 
Lyons,  Mr.  &  Mrs.,  165 


696 


INDEX  TO  NAMES. 


M 

M' Arthur,  Capt.,  266 
M 'Bride,  Capt.,  284 
Maccaffee,  Capt.,  64 
McCallum,     Capt.,     355, 

366 
McCallum,  Governor,  624, 

625 

Macartney,  Capt.  E.,  278 
M'Cullough,  John,  124 
M 'Daniel,  Capt.  A.,  192 
Macdonald,  Capt.,  591 
Macdonalds   of  the  Isles, 

174 
M'Dougall,    Lieut.,    404, 

405 
Mcdowall,     Saml.,     355, 

67l 

Macdowall,  Mrs.,  375,  376 
M  'Gauley,      Capt. ,      334, 

362 

M'Gee,  Capt.  Jas.,  254 
M'Ghie,  Capt.,  331 
McGill,  Capt.  Ed.,  171 
Macgregor,  Mr.,  94 
M'llroy,  Capt.,  319 
Maciver,  Capt.  John,  318, 

3S5»  356,  671,  672 
Maciver,  Capt.  David,  358 
Maciver,  Iver,  355,  671 
Maciver,  Peter,  355,  671 
Maciver,    D.    &   C.,    356, 

359 

Maciver   family  and  clan, 

355  to  359 
Maciver,     Rev.     William, 

358 
M'lver,        M'Viccar,      & 

M'Corquodale,  403 
Mackaffee,      Commodore, 

96,  97,  110,  in,  113 
Mackay,  Capt.  Jno.,  128 
McKee,  Capt.,  120,  122 
M'Kennon,  Mr.,  375 
Mackenzie,  Capt.,  365 
M'Kown,  Capt,  297 
M  'Neal,  Capt.  Hector,  198 
M'Quay,  Capt,  336 
M'Quie,  Capt  Peter,  350 

to  354-  592,  593 
M'Quie,  P.  R.,  592 
MacQuoid,  Capt.  Hugh, 

122 

MacRitchie,    Rev.    Wm., 

622,  623 
Madison,    President,  430, 

431 

Madclock,  Capt,  205,  206, 
216 


Maginnis,  Capt.,  396 
Maine,  Jno,,  155 
Maine,  Capt,  261 
Maisterton,  Woolley,  151 
Manesty,  Joseph,  82,  149, 

150,495,496,502,505, 

506,  516,  518 
Manly,  Capt  ,  198 
Mann,  Horace,  43,  53,  60 

to  62,  67,  136 
Mansfield,  Earl,  553,  554, 

563 

Marshall,  Capt.,  116 
Martin,  Capt,  366 
Marryat,  Capt,  276 
Masheter,  Capt.,  409 
Mason  &  Co.,  668 
Mason,  Stanhope,  no 
Matthews,    Mr.,   88,    6ll, 

663 

May,  Capt.,  340 
Mears,  Thos.,  82,  155 
Mellamby,  Capt.,  317 
Mends,  Sir  R.,  656 
Metcalf,  Capt.,  80,  83 
Meyer,    Wilckens  &   Co., 

068 

Miles,  Richd.,  613 
Miller,  Capt,  57,  58,  362 
Mills,  Capt.  J.,  346 
Mitton  &  Co.,  246,  669 
Mollineux,  Capt.,  309 
Mollineux,  A.,  663 
Molyneux.      Capt.,      294, 

313,  366 

Molyneux,    Thomas,   600, 

604,  605 

Molyneux,  Lord,  34 
Montague,  Admiral,  217 
Montgomery,  Jas.,  658 
More,  Hannah,  520,  527 
Moore,    Capt.,    216,    222, 

263,285,  313 
Moore,  Col.  John,  35 
Morgan,  Capt,  245,  311 
Morgan,  Capt,  I.H.,  364 
Morris,  Hugh,  377 
Mortimer,  M.  le.  Viscount, 

277 

Morton,  Capt  D.,  531 
Moss  &  Co.,  Thos.,  668 
"Mother    Redcap,"   323, 

324 

Mottley,  Midshipman,  404 
Mount,  Capt,  332 
Muddle,  Capt.,  444 
Mullion,  Capt,  360 
Munro,  Capt.,  190 
Murphy,  Capt,  444 
Murray,  Capt.,  368 


N 

Naylor,  Capt.,  200 
Naylor,  Thos.,  617 
Neale,  Wm.,  662 
Needham,  Capt,  341 
Neild,  Mr.,  164 
Neilson  &  Heathcote,  342, 

392 

Nelson,  Capt  ,  257 
Nelson,    Lord,    311,    400, 

401,  411 

Nelson  &  Co.,  667,  669 
Newby  &  Co.,  255,  667 
Newby,  Capt.,  449 
Newman,  Capt  Wingaze, 

233 
Newton,  John  (see  general 

index) 

Nicholas,  Richd.,  82 
Nicholson,      Capt. ,       273, 

274,  316 

Nicholson,  Capt.  Jas.,  198 
Nicholson,    Capt.    Thos., 

389,  390 

Nicholson  &  Co.,  Jno.,  82 
Niven,  Capt.,  248 
Noble,    Capt,    560,    561, 

585 

Nobler,  Capt.,  481,  482 
Norris,    Robt,    575,    576, 

611,  612,  613 
North,  Mr.  Ford,  389 
Nottingham,  Alex.,  562 
Nottingham   &   Co.,    251, 

669 

o 

O'Brien,  Capt.,  336 
Ogden,  Samuel,  82 
Ogden,  Capt. ,  294 
Okill,  John,  82 
Okill&Co.,  John,  83,472 
Olney,  Capt.  Joshua,  199 
Onslow,  Capt.  Thos.,  124, 

494 
Ormonde,  Marquis  of,  34, 

35 
Osborne,  Admiral,  68 


Pagan,  Capt.,  287 
Page,  Mr.,  664 
Paley,  Dr.,  567 
Pardoe,  Jas.,  82 
Parke,  Mrs.  Dorothy,  113 


INDEX  TO  NAMES 


697 


Parke,  Capt,  113,  159 
Parke,  John,  82,  114 
Parke,  James,  204 
Parke,  Harry,  165 
Parke,  Thos.,  no,  114 
Parker,  Admiral,  217 
Parker,  G.,  169 
Parker,  Capt.,  329 
Parker,  Jas.,  475 
Parkinson,  Capt.,  491 
Parr,  Edward,  82,  155 
Parr,  John,  155,  662 
Parr,  Thomas,  362 
Parrey,  Capt.,  585 
Parry,  ].  &.  H.,  389 
Part,  Capt.  W.,  153 
Patrick,  Capt.,  479 
Patrick,  Wm.,  554 
Pearce,  Capt.,  248 
Peddar  &  Co.,  24,  25 
Peel,  Sir  R.,  241 
Pemberton,    Capt.    Geo. , 

337 

Pennant,  Capt.,  318 
Pennant,  Madam,  664 
Penny,  James,  6n  to  613 
Penrhyn,  Lord,  612 
Perry,     Capt.,    238,    250, 

285,  286 

Perrin,  Capt.,  307 
Pettigrew,  Capt.,  397,  398 
Phillips.  Capt.,  368,    391 

to  393,  416 

Phillips,  James,  568,  575 
Phillips,  Richard,  568 
Phipps,  Capt.,  29 
Picton,  Sir  Jas.,  175,  176, 

184,  566,  581, 619,  620 
Pierce,    Capt.,    119,    300, 

301 

Pigot,  Lieut.,  264 
Pince.     Capt.,    309.     338, 

367,  422 

Finder,  Capt.,  307 
Pitt,  Mr,  37,  60,  87,  303, 

304,  612,  619 
Plimsoll,  Mr.,  138 
Pole,  Major,  264 
Pole,  Wm.  (Mayor),  238 
Potter,    Capt.,    235,    285, 

492 
Powditch,      Capt.      Geo., 

425 
Powell,    Capt.,   216,   224, 

225 

Prance,  Capt.,  315 
Preble,  Mr.,  442 
Preston,  Capt.,  282 
Price,  R.  P.,  213 
Priestman,  Capt.,  216,  229 
2Y 


Prince  of  Campo  Florida, 

46 
Prince  William  of  Glouces- 

ter, 93>  94 
Pringle  &  Co.,  234,  257, 

669 

Pritchard,  Owen,  82 
Puleston,  Richd.,  485 
Purvis,  Capt.,  316 


Q 


Queen  Elizabeth,  32,  465, 

466 

Queen  Victoria,  461 
Quickly,  Mistress,  323 
Quirk,  Capt.,  159 

R 

Radcliffe  &  Co.,  234,  668 
Ralph,  Capt.,  T.,  554 
Raphel    Capt.,  313,  329 
Ralcliffe,  Thos.,  557 
Rathbone,  Wm.,  570,  575, 

579,  58o 

Rathbone  family,  570,  580 
Rathbone,  Joseph,  663 
Rawlinson,      Chorley,     & 

Grierson,  228,250,254, 

257,  263,  668,  669 
Rawlinson,  M.P.,  Henry, 

287 

Rawson,  Capt.,  278 
Redcap,  Mother,  323,  324 
Reed.     Capt.,     198,    244 

396,  398 
Reid,  Capt.,  246 
Reid,  Wm.,  155 
Resche,  Mr.  H.  Le,  422 
Reynolds,  Capt.,  299 
Rice,  Wm.,  605 
Roberts  &  Co.,  230,  669 
Robertson,  Capt.,  339 
Robinson,  Capt.,  79,   105, 

257,  3l6 
Robinson,    Capt.    Isaiah, 

199 

Robinson  Capt.  James,  199 
Robinson,  Lieut.,  330 
Richardson,  Capt.,  193 
Richmond,  Capt.,  101 
<igby,  Capt.,  313,  315 
\igby  &  Sons,  Peter,  663 
ligby&Sons,  Edmund,  87 
•iigby,  Phebe,  274,  275 
•vimmer,  (Japt. ,  122 
Rigmaiden    Capt.,  235 


Rockliffe,  Capt.,  348 
Rodney,  Lord,  293 
Rogers,    Capt.,   225,   360, 

36l 
Rogers,  Capt.  Wm.,  409 

to  412 

Roper,  Capt,  312 
Roper,  Mr.,  150 
Roscoe,  Wm.  (see  general 

index) 

Ross,  Capt.  John,  127 
Ross,  Capt.  Geo.,  200 
Roughsedge,  Edward,  82 
Rowe,  Wm.,  488 
Rumbold,  Thos.  ,155,  562 
Rumbold,  &  Co. ,  488 
Rupert,  Prince,  34 
Rushton,     Edward,     297, 

57i,  575 

Russel,  Admiral,  656 
Rutland,  Duke  of,  265 
Ryan,  T.,  663 
Ryder,  Capt.,  285 


Sadler,  Mr.,  17 
Salisbury,  Capt.,  123 
Salisbury  &  Co. ,  246,  668 
Saltonstall,  Capt.  Dudley. 

198 

Sansom,  Philip,  568 
Saunders,  Admiral,  ill 
Savage,    Richard,   82,  92, 

155,  562 

Saville,  Sir  Geo.,  265 
Scallon,  James,   329,  330 
Scarborough,  Lord,  172 
Scott,  Alex.,  152 
Scott,  Capt-,  107 
Scott,  Thos.,  498 
Scott,     Pringle    &    Scott, 

24,  25 

Seddon,  Capt.,  260,  261 
Seddon.  John,  82 
Seel,  Thos.,  82 
Sefton,  Capt.,  152 
Sellers,  Capt.,  387 
Settle,  Capt.  Jas.,  162 
Seyers,  T.,  664 
Shaler,  Capt.,  440 
Shannon,  David,  663 
Sharp,    Capt.,     39,     543. 

544,  547,  548 
Sharp,  Granville,  553,  567 
Shaw,  Sam.,  82 
Shaw,  Thos.,  82 
Shaw&  Co.,  S.,  668 
Sheffield,  Capt.  J.,  197 


698 


INDEX  TO  NAMES. 


Sherrat,  Capt.,  R.,  390 
Sherwood,  Capt.,  280 
Shepley,  Mr.,  393 
Shipley,  Williams  &  Co., 

402 
Shimmins,  Capt.  Ratcliff, 

349 

Siddal,  Lieut.,  102 
Sill,  Edmund,  476 
Simmons,  Capt.,  529 
Simmons,  John,  558 
Simpson,  David.  173 
Sinclair,  Capt.  John,  441 
Skinner,  Capt.  Joseph  440 
Slater  &  Co.,  238,  668 
Slater,  Gill,  562,  663,  668 
Slazer,  Capt.,  157 
Slinger,  J.  &  R.,  669 
Smale,  Capt.,  280 
Smeaton,  Mr.,  142,  144 
Smerdon,  Capt.,  344,  366 
Smith,  Adam,  567 
Smith,  Egerton,  19,  663 
Smith,   Capt.,     122,    219, 

329,  331,  363,  448 
Smith,  James,  264 
Solomon,  Dr.,  109 
Somerset,  the  negro,   553, 

554,  567 

Souter,  Capt.,  347 
Sparling  &  Co.,  668 
Sparling.    John,   93,    210, 

562,  663,  668,  669 
Spear,  Capt.  Joseph,  644 
Spears,  Capt.,  152 
Speers,  Capt,  Alex.,  369 
Speers,     Capt.     Gersham, 

63,89 

Speke  Hall,  296 
Spellin,  Capt.,  314 
Spence,  Capt.,  421,  422 
Spencer,  Col.,  172 
Spencer,  Lawrence,  82 
Staniforth,  Sam.,  82,  83 
Staniforth,   Thos.,  83,  84, 

146.  562,  617,  662 
Staniforth  &  Sons,  T.,  83 
Stanleys  of  Knowsley,  163 
Stanley,  Sir  John,  33 
Stanley,  Sir  Thos.,  32 
Stanley,  Lord,  33 
Stanley,  Hon.  Major,  264 
Stanton,  Capt.,  215 
Stanton,  John,  88, 155,  664 
Starkey,  John,  305 
Statham,  Mr.,  609 
Stevenson,  Capt.,  564,  565 
Stewart,  Capt.,  441 
Stringfellow,  Miss,  335 
Stronge,  John,  155 


Stronge,  Matthew,  155 
Stuart,  Mr.,  554 
Sturrock,  Capt.  Jas.,  378 
Sulgar,  Hy.,  536 
Sullivan,  Capt.,  245 
Sullivan,  General,  221 
Syers,  Capt.,  476,  563 
Syers  &  Co..  247,  669 


Tate,  Capt.,  349 
Tate,  Mr.,  275 
Tatem,  Consul,  60 
Talhot,  Lord,  553 
Tarleton,  Capt.  Jno. ,  172 
Tarleton,  Clayton,  613 
Tarleton,   John,    82,    155, 

611.  617 
Tarleton  &  Co.,  Jno.,  103, 

668 
Tarleton,     General,     264, 

280,   281 

Tarleton  &  Rigg,  349 
Taubman,  Capt.,  564 
Taylor,  Capt.,  252,  277, 

331.435,  436 
Taylor  &  Kerr,  606 
Tearsheet,  Doll,  323 
Teed,  Capt.,  417 
Terry,  S.,  17 
Thiballier,  M.,  3^7 
Thomas,  Capt.  Joseph,  125 
Thomson,  Capt.,  261 
Thompson,  Capt.,  83,  157, 

158,198,254,284,307, 

3°9,  343,  344,  364,  374 
Thurot,    Mons.,   86,    104, 

134,   141,    171   to   175, 

223 

Tobin,  Capt., 307, 360, 650 
Tobin,  Sir  John,  152 
Toole,  Capt.,  448,  651 
Topping,  Capt.,  342,  343 
Townshend,  Capt.,  247 
Townshend,  Col.,  99 
Townsend,  Capt.,  267,  268 
Trader,  Capt.  Thos.,  530 
Trafford,  Edward,  82,  148 
Traflbrd  &  Sons,  Ed.,  148 
Trafford  &  Bird,  135 
Trafford,  Mr.,  131 
Trafford,  Wm.,  148,  155 
Trafford.  Rich.,   148 
Trafford,  Henry,  148 
Tristram,  Capt.,  472 
Tue,  Capt.,  215 
Twemlow,  Thos.,  355,  671 
Tyrer,  Robert,  367,  662 


u 

Urria,  Joaquin  Perez  de 
603 

V 

Valens,  Mr.,  105 
Venables,  Capt.  Richd. , 

126 

Vickers,  Lieut.,  295 
Villeneuve,  Admiral,  403 

w 

Wade,  Capt.,  270 
Wagner,  B.  P.,  252 
Wagner  &  Co.,  252,  668 
Wakefield,    Rev.   Gilbert, 

20,  177,  283,  284 
Walker,  Capt.,  268,   278, 

279,  289,  333 
Walker,  Edward,  97,  98 
Walker,  Richd.,  296,  354 
Walker,  Mr.,  271,  272 
Walpole,  Horace,  43,  62 
Wall,  Lieut.,  333 
Wallace,  Wm.,  570 
Wallace,  Sir  Jas. ,  245 
Walls,  Capt.  Jno.,  349 
Ward,    Capt.,    123,     134, 

140,  174,  315 
Wardlaw,  Capt,  218 
Wardley,  Capt,  201 
Warren  &  Co.,   243,  668, 

669 

Warren,  Capt,  334 
Warner,  Capt,  Elisha,  199 
Washington,    Capt,    149, 

217' 

Watkins,  Capt,  207,  219 
\Vatmough,  Capt,  246 
Watson,  Capt.,   107 — 109, 

384 

Walt,  Miss  Adelaide,  296 
Watt,  Richard,  150.  296 
Watt,  Capt.  C..  604,  605 
Watt  *  Gregson,  571 
WTatt  &  Walker,  296 
Watts  &  Rawson,  254,  669 
Watts.  Capt,  265,  374 
Webb,  Capt,  268 
Webster,  Capt,  294 
Weeks,     Capt.     Lambert 

193,  199 

Welch,  Geo.,  605 
Welch,  Jno.,  155 
Wellesley,  Hon.  H.,  629 


INDEX  TO  NAMES. 


699 


Welsh,  Jas.,  605 
Wesley,  John,    520,    527, 

567 

Whalley  &  Co.,  Win.,  So 
Wharton,  A.,  605 
Wheelwright,  Capt.  Tim., 

491 
Whipple,     Capt.     Abram, 

199 

Whitaker&  Co.,  668.  669 
White,  Capt.,  200,  367 
White,  John,  155,  402 
White,  Capt.  Thos.,  218 
Whiteside,  Capt.  Jno.,  242, 

243 
Whitney,     Capt.    J.    C., 

34i 
Whitney,  Capt.  S.  A.,  380 

—3^3 

Whittle,  Capt.,  592,  599 
Whytell,  Capt.  C.  L.,  257, 

258,  277 
Wilberforce,  521,  527,  581, 

611,  612,  613,  618,  619 
Wilcox,  Capt.,  266 
Wilding,  Richd.,  30 
Wilson,   Capt.,    189,  235, 

262,282,336,338,402, 

448 
Wilson,  Capt.  Josiah.  153 


\Vilson,  Capt.  Wm.,  204, 

205.  280 

Wilson,  Savil,  97,  98 
Williams,  Capt.,  259,  314, 

341,  363,  368,  549 
Williams,  Lt.-Col.,  389 
Williamson,  Wm.,  155 
Williamson,    Robert,     16, 

17,    18,    95,    97,    155, 

474,  475 
Wignall,  Capt.,  209,  219, 

268 

Windham,  Thos.,  465 
Winn,  Capt.  Isaac,  n6to 

118 

Wise,  Capt.,  197 
Wiseman,  Capt.,  213,  214, 

215,  333 

Wood  &  Nicholas,  487 
Wood,  H.  &  J.,  604 
Woods,   Capt.,   250,    255, 

256,  332 

Woods,  Joseph,  568 
Woodhouse,  Mr.,  311 
Woodville,  Capt.,  200 
Woodward,  Saml.,  155 
Worrall,  Geo.,  662 
Wotherspoon,  Capt.,  207 
Worthington,  Capt.,  306 
Wrigglesworth,  Capt.,  316 


Wright,  Capt,  285,   341, 

360 
Wright,  Capt.  Fortunatus 

(see  general  index) 
Wright,  FortunatusEvelyn, 

.43 
Wright,    John    Ellworthy 

Fortunatus.  43 
Wright,  Sydney  Evelyn,  43 
Wright,  Capt.  John.  43 
Wright,     Capt.     Reuben, 

631 

Wright,  W.  N.,  617 
Wyatt,  Capt.,  482,  483 


Yates,  Capt.,  555 
Yates,  John,  570 
Yates,  Joseph,  663 
Yates,  Thos.,  475,  558 
Young    Capt  ,    193,    199, 

331 
Younghusband,  Capt.,  199 


Zuill  &  Co.,  J.,  235,  255, 
669 


(SEE  ALSO  LISTS  OF  NAMES  IN  THE  APPENDIX.) 


INDEX    TO   SUBJECTS. 


Abolition  Society,  522,  568,  570,  574  ; 
Movement,  566,  567  to  581  ;  Bill, 
614,  616,  618,  619,  620,  ;  Effects  in 
Liverpool,  620,  621  ;  Captain  Crow 
on  abolition,  649,  651,  655,  656 ; 
King  Holiday  on  ditto,  650  ;  Aboli- 
tionists in  danger,  577  to  579 

Account  Sales  of  Negroes,  530,  606 

Acts  of  Parliament,  TV?  American  Captures, 
207,  208  ;  Armed  merchantmen, 
340 ;  Greenland  fishery  and  im- 
pressment, 84  ;  Slave  Trade,  466, 
468,  469,  470  ;  473,  553,  554,  608, 
616,  619,  620,  625 

Actions  at  Law,   170,  287,  413  to  416, 

554,  563,  564 

Admiralty,  Droit  of,  203  ;  Courts  and 
prizes,  46,  48,  207,  208,  260,  670  to 
673  ;  Suits,  286,  287 

Advertisements,  Curious  Privateering, 
18,  104,  no,  119,  134,  160,  161,  169, 
279  ;  Slave  Trade,  474  to  479,  554 

Africa,  Future  of,  528,  624,  625 

African  Company,  469,  473  ;  List  of 
members  (in  1752),  674  ;  (in  1806), 
679  ;  List  of  ships  trading  to  Africa, 
names  of  owners  and  commanders, 
and  number  of  slaves  carried  (in 
1752),  675  to  677  ;  Ditto  (in  1798- 
99)  68 1  to  685;  Number  of  African 
ships  cleared  (1709  to  1807),  678  ; 
Number  of  slaves  imported  by  10 
leading  houses  (1783-93),  679; 
Comparative  number  of  African 
ships  cleared  out  of  London,  Liver- 
pool, and  Bristol  (1795  to  1804),  680; 
African  trade  of  Liverpool,  465  to 
658 ;  Slave  trade  at  a  stand,  181, 
555 ;  In  full  prosperity,  495 ;  African 
Princes  sold  as  slaves,  372,  373  ; 
African  Freemen's  meeting,  562  ; 
Man-stealers,  582,  583,  584 ;  King's 
palace  and  stockade  616  (also  illus- 
tration) ;  "Blackbirds,"  525  ;  Chiefs 
kidnapped,  541,  542,  544,  545  ; 
Kings  and  chiefs,  their  correspon- 
dence, habits,  orders,  &c. ,  481,  533 


536  to  553,  633,  638,  650,  657; 
Their  debts,  539,  540,  541  ;  Early 
explorer,  615  ;  African  merchants' 
houses  attacked  by  sailors,  557  to 
560 

Aikin,  Dr.,  on  privateering,  184 

"  Aim  at  the  Goose,"  556 

Alarm  in  Liverpool,  194,  195,  557  to 
559,  621  ;  In  the  common  council, 
609  ;  Gun  signals,  421 

Alarming  dispatch,  288 

America,  Distress  in,  236 

American  independence  declared,  180; 
Privateers  fitted  out,  181  ;  Privateers 
of  the  First  War,  1 79  to  302  ;  Lesson 
of  the  First  War,  179,  180  ;  Ransom- 
ing of  vessels,  152 ;  Commission, 
Copy  of,  191,  192;  List  of  naval 
force  and  commanders,  198,  199 ; 
Boldness  and  activity  of  American 
privateers,  181,  198,  200,  555 ;  In 
the  Channel,  107,  198,  207,  209, 
210,  223,  433,  450,  451  ;  Privateers 
with  forged  commissions,  300  ;  Under 
French  colours,  311,  315,;  Encour- 
aged by  the  French,  201  ;  Tobacco 
ships,  272,  Refugee  in  Liverpool, 
281  ;  View  of  privateering,  193,  455 
to  459 ;  Alleged  cruelty  and  bar- 
barity, 201,  202,  210,  447  ;  Cowards, 
349 ;  Prize  money,  182  ;  Prize 
bounty,  440 ;  Privateer  captured, 
219  ;  Seamen  tempted  by  British 
Government,  202  ;  A  generous  skip- 
per, 331  ;  Seamen  rewarded,  203, 
204 ;  Seamen  and  the  press  gang, 
423  ;  Plantations,  472  ;  Vessels  cap- 
tured, 170,  r8i,  202  to  207,  431  ; 
Vessels  seized,  406,  430;  Prisoners  in 
Liverpool,  219;  Embargo  on  ship- 
ping, 407 ;  Second  American  war,  430 
to  462  ;  System  of  destroying  ships, 
450  ;  Funeral  of  American  hero  in 
England,  446  to  448  ;  Address  to  the 
Throne  complaining  of  depredations 
by  American  privateers,  450  to  452  ; 
Audacity  of  American  privateersmen 
in  Ireland,  441  ;  Success  of  the  True 
Blooded  Yankee,  442  ;  of  the  Yankee, 


INDEX  TO  SUBJECTS. 


701 


448  ;  of  the  Mammoth,  449  ;  Brig 
captured  by  negroes,  593  ;  American 
and  British  Shipping  compared,  460, 
461  ;  American  Navy,  431.  432 

American  Privateers  and  Cruisers  — 
Alfred,  192,  436,  438  ;  Alliance,  248; 
Argus,  446,  447  ;  Blinker  Hill,  442  ; 
Cabot,  190 ;  Enterprise,  193 ;  Fair 
American,  245  ;  Fox,  441  ;  General 
Armstrong,  440,  445,  446  ;  General 
Arnold,  244,  245,  254 ;  General 
Mifflin,  107,  209,  210 ;  General 
Moutrey,  245  ;  General  Sullivan, 
215,  252  ;  Governor  Tomkins,  440  ; 
Holker,  297;  Independence,  193,  198; 
Lexington,  199,  201  ;  Macedonian, 
441,  447,  453!  Mammoth,  449; 
Pallas,  253  ;  Perry,  452  ;  President, 
452  ;  Pilgrim,  248  ;  Portsmouth, 
441  ;  Ranger,  223  ;  Revenge,  197  ; 
Shadow,  435,  436;  Sprye,  115  ; 
-S«a/  Dragon,  442;  Tartar,  206; 
Thomas,  441  ;  Trwe  Blooded  Yankee, 
441,  442  ;  Trumbull,  198,  273,  274  ; 
Tyrannicide,  196 ;  Vengeance,  233  ; 
Yankee,  448. 

(See  also  list  at  198,  199.) 

Americans,  Feeling  in  England  towards 
the,  297  to  299  ;  Killed  by  Lt.-Col. 
Tarleton,  281  ;  Drubbed  by  Liver- 
pool men,  215.  563 

Amissa    redeemed    from    slavery,     563, 

564 

Ammunition.  2,  88,  104,  209,  373 
Amusing  Incidents: — A  terrible  English- 
man, 44  ;  The  Charge  of  the  Blues, 
94,  95  ;  The  privateersman  and  the 
baby,  186-187;  "A  wee  Coggie," 
283 ;  A  race  for  life,  322,  323 ; 
The  high-blooded  Yankee,  452,  453  ; 
The  saline  Bucephalus,  556  ;  "  Two 
mouth  tacken,"  628:  "  Va — t  en, 
Coquin,"  630;  "Poor  boy!  you 
can't  havey  King,"  638 ;  The  fight 
for  the  trumpet,  647  ;  "  Me  have  too 
much  wife,"  650. 
Amusing  correspondence  of  Grandy 

King   George,    543   to   547- 
"  Angel  Gabriel"  in  Liverpool,  557 
Ancient  Britons,  Society  of,  and  priva- 
teering, 116 

Animal  sagacity  and  affection,  654 
"  An  Old  Stager  "  on  privateersmen  and 
press-gangs,  4,  5,  6,  319  ;  on  Patrick 
Black  and  his  megatherium  wig,  543, 

544 
Antelope,     man-of-war,     fires     into     the 

Liverpool,  131 
Argyll,  House  of,  357 
Armada,  Liverpool  and  the,  33,  34 


Armament  of  Liverpool  Privateers  and 

Letters  of  Marque,  2,  183,  279,  667 

to  669 

Armed  merchantmen  (1760), Typical,  171 
Armenian,  Strange  adventures  of  an,  70 

to  78 

Assiento  Company,  466  to  468 
Atheist,      Awful    death     of     an,     513, 

514;  Character   of  an,    by    himself, 

519 
Auction  Sales,  133,  171,  473  to  479,591, 

592,  605,  648,  655 
Aurora  prize  money,  203,  204 


B 


Baines,  Ed.,  Correction  of,  472 

Bairn  of  Gilead,  109 

Bath  coffee-house.  128 

Battle  between  the  Ellen  and  the  Santa 
Anna,  275,  276 

Batteries,  223,  262,  281,  389 

Beaumaris  privateer,  A,  115,  116 

Beautiful  end  of  the  "Old  African 
Blasphemer,"  524  to  526 

"  Best  contested  battle,"  272  to  275 

Bible  and  slavery,  572  to  575 

Bidston  lighthouse,  141 

Bill  of  lading  for  slaves,  531 

Black  servants  in  Liverpool,  554  ;  Black 
slaves  in  England,  474  to  479 ;  Black 
privateersmen,  196,  396,  397  ;  Black 
woman's  cruelty  to  John  Newton, 

499,  5°° 
Blackwood,   Hon.  Capt.  action  against, 

413  10416 
Blockade  of  Dublin,  35  ;  of  Liverpool, 

86.    1 54  ;  of  Continental  ports,  406  ; 

blockade  running,  204 
Bloody  engagements,  52,  125,  315,  330, 

333,  373  to  375,  379,  380,  391  to  393, 

408  to  411  ;  Hoisting  the  bloody  flag, 

340,   349,  350,   352,  369,  375,  395. 

443;  In  the  streets  of  Liverpool,  556 
Bloom  slave-ship,  profits  of,  605  to  607 
Blind  poet  and  slavery,  571 
Blue  Coat  Hospital,  144,  154,  426,  484 
Boatmen  of  the  Mersey,  patriotic,  389 
"  Bootle  Organs,"  621 
"  Born  a  beggar — die  a  lord,"  485 
Boswell  on  slavery,  609 
Botanic  Gardens,  615 
Bounty,  634,  637 

Branding  the  slaves,  &c.,  531,  532,  584 
Brandy,    130,    224,   225,  229,   234,   249, 

267,  279,  309,  316 
Brave  defence  of  the  Queen,  440  ;  Brave 

boys,  265,  268,  392  ;   Brave  women, 

375,  376)  559  (see  also  passengers) 


702 


INDEX  TO  SUBJECTS. 


Brilliant  action, 385  ;  Stratagem,  50, 5 1,55 

British  influence  in  the  Mediterranean, 
41,  49,  50,  53,  62,  67,  68;  Power 
and  reputation  of  Great  Britain,  154  ; 
British  privateers  (in  1745)  49  5 
British  gains  and  losses,  115  ;  British 
merchant-men  (in  1793)  316  ;  British 
tonnage,  303  ;  British  ships  captured 
by  the  Americans,  431,  450  to  452  ; 
British  indignation  at  American  suc- 
cesses, 450  to  452  ;  British  cruisers, 
207,  216,  223,  224,  269,  290,  291, 
295 1  311.  32°.  338  388;  British 
cruisers  at  fault,  433,  441.  449  to  452; 
British  maritime  rights,  457,  458 ; 
British  and  American  snipping  com- 
pared, 460,  461  ;  British  naval 
strength,  432,  459  to  462  ;  British 
Admiralty  censured,  450 ;  British 
commerce,  damage  to,  290,  291 

Bristol  Corporation  and  the  war.  292  ; 
Bristol  ousted  from  its  position  by 
Liverpool,  495  ;  Bristol  privateers, 
133,  258,  259,  286,  309 ;  Bristol  slave- 
ships,  307,  481,  494,  495,  618  ; 
Terrible  slaughter  by  them,  536  to 
538  ;  Bristol  slave  trade,  466,  467, 
469,  473  ;  Comparative  statement  of 
Guineamen  cleared  out  of  Bristol, 
Liverpool,  and  London  (1795  to  1804) 
680 ;  Bristol  slave  captains  and 
African  king,  543,  544 ;  curious  reply 
to  a  Bristol  slave-merchant,  541  ; 
Clerk  of  the  merchants'  hall,  469 

"Brooks"  the  slave  ship,  560, 56 1,585, 586 

Bromfield's  black,  My  lady.  477 

Bronte  estate,  311 

Biown's  estimate,  115  ;  Library,  240, 
241  ;  William  Brown's  slave  trading, 
604 

Cabess,  551*  553 

Campania,  461 

Cannonading  in  Castle  Street,  556 

Captains  (see  Slave-Captains  and  Priva- 
teer Commanders) 

Carnatic,  East  Indiaman,  captured,  239, 
241 

Carnatic-hall,  history  of,  240,  241,  310 

Carolina  ships,  114 

Carronades,  276,  395,  398,  408,  639 

Cartel  ships,  268,  428,  565 

Cartridges,  1 6,  267,  268;  "The  last 
two,"  345 

Catastrophes,  terrible,  loss  of  the  Peli- 
can, 304,  305  ;  Explosion  on  the 
Joseph,  315  ;  Mutiny  of  slaves  on  the 
Thomas,  592,  593  ;  Sinking  of  the 
Ogden,  472  ;  Cutting  oft  of  the  Per- 
fect, 492  ;  Blowing  up  of  the  Ogden, 
484  ;  of  the  Othello,  631,  634 


Catching  a  tartar,  337,  338 

Charities,  153,  154,  265,  268,  274,  275 

301,  664 

Charleston,  price  of  negroes  at,  529 
Chasing  a  press-gang  man  into  the  dock, 

323>  324 

Cheshire  wreckers,  232,  233 

Chester  Privateer,  a,  32  ;  Slave-ship,  482 
to  484 

Children  and  Privateering,  186,  188, 
189 

Childwall  Grammar  School,  154  ;  John 
Newton  at  Childwall  Church,  517 

Christians  burned,  565 

Cigars  first  introduced  into  Liverpool, 
278 

Civil  War,  the,  34 

Clan  Iver,  history  of  the.  355  to  359 

Clarkson,  Rev.  Thomas,  177,  521  ;  On 
irons  and  torture  instruments,  532> 
533  ;  Details  of  massacre  supplied  to 
him,  536 ;  Joins  the  Abolition  Society, 
568  ;  His  map  of  pioneers,  571  ;  His 
visit  to  Liverpool,  575  ;  Denounces 
the  Captain  of  the  Edgar,  576 ; 
Experiences  at  the  ' '  King's  Arms, " 
577  ;  Attempt  upon  his  life,  578  ;  His 
panegyric  on  William  Rathbone,  579  > 
His  labours,  580. 

Clarence,  Duke  of  (William  IV.),  his 
defence  of  the  slave-traffic,  613,  618 

"  Clothed  with  Scarlet,"  479 

Coalition  against  Great  Britain,  264 

Cobbler's  Close,  311 

Cocoa,  123,  218,  232,  243,  247  to  249, 
251,  253,  285,  293,  398,  401,  414 

Cod  smacks,  140,  141,  174,  175 

Coffee,  39,  89,  92,  97,  103,  121  to  123, 
128,  217,  218,  224,  227,  231  to  236, 
238,  243,  244,  246  to  253,  285,  286 

293,  305,  307,  342,  487 

Columbus,  bones  of,  336 

Combined  fleets,  288,  399 

Commerce  of  Europe,  388  ;  Damage  to 
British  commerce,  290,  291  ;  Com- 
merce a  lottery,  429  ;  Commerce  of 
Liverpool,  40,  620,  622  ;  Commerce 
.  with  France  and  America  renewed, 

454- 

Company  of  Royal  Adventurers  of  Eng- 
land to  Africa,  466  ;  Royal  African 
Assiento  Company,  466 ;  Company 
of  Merchants  trading  to  Africa  from 
Liverpool,  674,  679 

Confederate  Government  and  Letters  of 
Marque,  459 

Contraband  trade,  468 

"  Conquer  or  die,"  413 

Conversion  of  John  Newton,  503,  505 

Convicts,  ship  captured  by.  85,  86 


INDEX  TO  SUBJECTS. 


703 


Convoy  duty  and  regulations,  50,  52,  116 
to  118,  189,  200,  230,  287,  291,  364, 
366,  374,  378,  451,  489,  490,  637 

Coomey,  543  to  547 

Corporation  of  Liverpool,  subsidy  to  the 
live  fish  scheme,  141  ;  Compliment  to 
the  "Practical  Seaman,"  143;  Bounty 
to  naval  volunteers,  189,  236,  237, 
256;  Loyal  address,  181,  256  ;  Pur- 
chase of  Tower  gaol,  164  ;  John  the 
Painter  scare,  194,  195  ;  Sale  of  the 
manor  of  Garston,  240  :  Defences  of 
the  town,  172,  173,  262,  264,  265  ; 
regiments  raised,  389  ;  Petition  for 
leave  to  sell  East  India  prize  cargoes, 
391  j  Corporation  and  the  slave  trade, 
184;  Gratuity  to  Rev.  R.  Harris,  573; 
petitions  against  abolition,  609,  611 
to  613.  617;  Rewards  for  the  cham- 
pions of  the  slave  traffic,  609  to  618  ; 
Prayer  for  compensation,  619. 

Cost  of  Commissions  or  Letters  of  Marque, 
19;  Cost  of  privateer  outfit,  661  to 
664  :  Cost  of  slave-ship  outfits  and 
cargoes,  600,  603  to  607  ;  Prime  cost 
of  negroes  on  the  Coast,  539,  547, 
548,  551,  597,  680;  Cost  of  the  war 
with  France,  304 ;  Cost  of  a  deck- 
house for  slaves,  634. 

Cotton,  58,  89,  100,  in,  121,  217,  224, 
231  10236,  243,  244,  246,  247,  251 
u>  253,  285,  286,  293,  305,  307,  342, 
487  ;  Price  of,  432,  433 

Cowries,  539,  551  to  553 

"  Cross  Keys  "  Inn,  622 

CROW,  CAPTAIN  HUGH,  319,  367  ;  His 
character,  Early  life,  626  ;  Thrown 
into  prison,  Sails  to  Jamaica,  Cheers 
the  crew  with  songs,  627  ;  Early  pre- 
judice against  the  slave  trade,  "  Massa 
Crow,  something  bite  me  too  much," 
628  ;  Becomes  mate  of  a  slave-ship 
and  is  captured  by  the  Erench  ;  Suf- 
ferings in  a  Erench  prison,  629 ; 
Makeshis  escape,  Stopped  by  soldiers, 
A  volley  of  Manx,  630  ;  Arrival  in 
Liverpool,  The  Othello  blown  up, 
Romantic  episode  on  board  the  Anne, 

631  ;  Action  with  a  French  privateer, 

632  ;    Voyage   of   the  James,  Slaver 
plundered     by     natives,      Desperate 
defence  by  Crow,  633  ;   Visits  Kings 
Peppleand  Holiday,  A  great  sacrifice. 

633  ;    Appointed   commander  of  the 
Will,,   Voyage  to  Bonny  for  slaves, 

634  ;   "  Crow,  mind  your  eye,"  635  ; 
A  brush  with  the  French,  Slaving  at 
Bonny,     635  ;     Severe     engagement 
with  a  French  privateer  on  the  middle 
passage     Scene   with    black    women, 


636  ;  Seamen  impressed,  Arrival  in 
Liverpool,  637  ;  Another  voyage  to 
Africa,  A  pennant  for  the  Will,  Sav- 
ing the  crew  of  the  Hector,  637  ;  An 
ungrateful  Swede,  638  ;  Rewarded  by 
the  underwriters  and  merchants,  Ap- 
pointed commander  of  the  Ceres, 
Voyage  to  Bonny,  Ludicrous  scene 
with  King  Pepple,  638  ;  Commands 
the  Mary,  Negro  shooting  competi- 
tion, 639  ;  Preparing  for  the  enemy, 
A  deadly  contrivance.  640  ;  Speech 
to  the  crew,  641  ;  Desperate  night 
engagement  between  the  Alary  and 
two  strange  cruisers,  642  ;  Crow's 
Viking  spirit,  His  phrenzy  at  discover- 
ing that  he  had  been  fighting  two 
British  men  of  war,  643  ;  Certificate 
of  valour,  Touching  conduct  of  the 
slaves,  644  ;  Arrival  at  Jamaica,  Crow 
interviewed  by  the  blacks,  645  ;  Their 
song  in  his  honour.  646  ;  The  cap- 
tain's monkey  attempts  to  take  the 
command,  647  ;  Fight  for  the  trum- 
pet, "  Fine  Bone  "  sent  to  the  auction 
room,  648  ;  The  Mary  arrives  in 
Liverpool  "a  day  after  the  fair," 
649  ;  Crow's  opinion  of  the  abolition, 

649  ;    Takes    command   of    the   last 
slaver  cleared  out  of  Liverpool,  649  ; 
Complimented   by   the    underwriters, 

650  ;     Arrival     at     Bonny,     Curious 
palaver    with    King    Holiday,    650  ; 
Rotten    goods    and    fever,    Terrible 
storms,  ALirming  mortality,    Horrors 
of  the  middle  passage,  651  ;  Ship  on 
fire.    Heroic    behaviour    of    Captain 
('row,  652  ;   Gratitude  of  the  slaves, 
653  ;     The    captain     and     the    sick 
monkey,  Arrival  at  Kingston,  A  long 
death  roll,   The  market  glutted,  654  ; 
A  good  puff,    Result  of  the  voyage, 
The  captain  congratulated  by  his  black 
friends,   Ne«ro  humour,  655  ;   Crow 
retires  to  the  Isle  of  Man,  declines  a 
seat  in  the  Keys,   Sad  end  of  his  gal- 
lant son,  656  ;  Crow  returns  to  Liver- 
pool,   African     veterans    and     their 
habits,    Memoir   writing  at    Preston, 
His  patriotism  and  death,  657 

Cruise  of  the  dredgers.  624 
Cunard  Line,  359 

Customs  Revenue,  187,  301  ;  Custom 
house,  158,  187,  474,  608 

D 

Dahomey,  King  of,  Customs  paid  to  him, 
550  to  553  ;  Sells  his  subjects  into 
slavery,  576 


704 


INDEX  TO  SUBJECTS. 


Danish  ships  seized,  86 
Declaration  of  Paris,  455 
Decoy-women,  African,  582,  583 
Decrees.  Berlin  and  Milan,  406 
Defenceless  vessels,  157,218 
Derrick,  .Samuel,  his  visit  to  Liverpool, 

171 
Depredations    of    American    Privateers, 

sensation  caused  by   the,    433,    440, 

44i,  449,  45°,  45  * 

Desperate  action  between  the  Dick 
Guineaman  and  a  French  privateer, 

379,  38o 

Desperate  night  battle  between  the  Mary 
Guineaman  and  two  British  men-of- 
war,  642,  643,  644 

Descriptions  of  runaway  slaves,  476,  477, 
554;  Of  runaway  privateersmen,  160, 
161  ;  Of  slaves  for  sale,  474,  475,  476, 
478,  479 

De  Wolf,  James,  success  of  his  Yankee 
privateer,  448 

Diamonds,  discovery  of  prize,  239 

Divine  Worship  on  board  slave-ships  and 
privateers,  147,  507,  509,  512 

Docks,  93,  146,  185,  188,  194,  195,  281, 
389  407,  556,  609,  610,  621,  622; 
Dock  estate,  magnitude  of,  622  to 
624  ;  Dock  masters,  42,  43,  135,  146; 
Dock  trustees  and  the  slave  trade,  619 

Doctors'  head  money,  etc.  (see  surgeons) 

Dollars,  193,  238,  253,  289,  301,  318, 
389,  401,  414,  448,  607 

Drawn  battle  between  the  Watt  and  the 
Trumbull,  272  to  274 

Dress,  of  old  merchants,  93.  543.  544  5 
Of  volunteers,  172;  Of  African  King, 
545,  546 ;  Of  privateersmen,  160, 
161  ;  Of  Captain  Crow's  monkey, 
648 ;  Of  slaves,  554,  565,  628,  639, 

645 
Drunken   actors   taunt,   594 ;    Drunken 

king's,  638 
Dublin  blockaded  by  Liverpool  cruisers, 

35 

Ducking  a  woman,  194 
Durand   Felix,    romantic    adventure   of, 

427 

Durbar  at  Lagos,  624,  625 
Dutch    contraband    trading,    103,    104  ; 

Fleet  captured,  342 


Earthenware  trade,  38 

East  India  Company's  ships,  138,  147, 
339  ;  East  India  prize  goods,  diffi- 
culty about,  391 

Edgar,  slave-ship  and  the  massacre  at 
Old  Calabar,  536  to  538 


Editorial  hint,  strange,  246 
Electioneering  and   slave   trading,    612, 

613,  618,  619 
Ellenborough,    Lord,   and   impressment, 

415,  4i6 

Elopement,  romantic,  76 
Embargo  on  shipping,    256,    304,    399, 

407 

Rinilie  St.  Pierre,  204,  205 
England's  enemies  outwitted,  5°,  51 
Escapes,    from   the  Tower  prison,   162, 

165,  427  ;  From  French  prisons,  148, 

149,  312,  329  to  331,  404,  405,  493, 

629,  630,  656 

Exchange  attacked  by  rioters,  556 
Execution  of  Louis  XVi. — mourning  in 

Liverpool,  304 

Exeter  privateer,  an,  234,  235 
Explosions,  terrible,  258,  259,  416,  448, 

491 

Exports;  172,  622 
Everton  Beacon,  127,  173 


Factor  captured,  318;  Factors' Commis- 
sions, &c.,  470,  591,  596,  597,  605, 
606 ;  Factories  on  the  Slave  Coast, 
469 

Fame,  Privatee-",  45,  46,  48  to  50 
Fight  in  the  river  Mersey,    157  ;  in  the 

Custom  House,  157 
First  Slaver  out  of  Liverpool,  469 
Fishing  Industry,    133,    134,    140,    141, 

157,  158 
Fitzroy,   Lady  Anne,  her  imprisonment, 

330,  629 

"  For  the  Honour  of  Liverpool,"  339 
Fortifying  the  Quarter-deck,  12,  13 
Fortune,  slave-ship,  profits  of,  604,  607 
A  Fortunes  made  in  the  slave  trade,  485, 

594  to  608 

Foundering   of  the    King    George,   63 
Flour,  130,  249,  267,  316 
Fleets  arrive  safe,  230 
Florentine  hatred  of  England,  53,  54,  56, 

60 

France  declares  war,  37 
Franklin  (Dr.)  on  privateering,  193,  456, 

457 

Freedom  of  the  African  Company,  469  ; 
Of  Liverpool,  164,  611,  618 

Freemasonry  at  sea,  340 

Free  black,  damages  for  selling  a,  563 

French  ships  fitted  out  to  take  Fortunatus 
Wright,  59  ;  Orders  to  burn  him,  59  ; 
Great  rewards  for  his  capture,  51  to 
53  ;  French  privateers  in  the  Medi- 
terranean, 41,  50,  52  to  54,  58  to  60, 


INDEX  TO  SUBJECTS. 


705 


62,  67,  69,  75  to  77  ;  French  priva- 
teers blockading  Liverpool,  86,  154  ; 
Their  number  and  superiority,  87,  88  ; 
Their  alarming  successes,  they  swarm 
in  every  sea,  114.  156,  312;  Depre- 
dations in  the  Channel,  278,  290,  291, 
421  ;  French  property  in  Dutch  bot- 
toms, 152 ;  French  privateers  captured 
by  the  Liverpool,  133  ;  French  gains 
and  losses,  114,  115,  230,  297,  316; 
Threat  of  invasion,  288  ;  Revolution, 
303,  304  ;  Cruisers,  328,  639,  641  ; 
East  Indiamen  captured,  230,  235, 
239,  289,  314,  387  ;  French  humanity 
and  politeness,  139,  152,  153.  156, 
311,  380,  385,  428,  429  ;  Commerce 
destroyed,  315,  316  ;  Defeats,  327  ; 
French  slave-ships  captured,  90,  229, 
237,  307,  313,  314,  31 7  ;  Capture  of 
French  West  Indian  Colonies,  618  ; 
Depredations  of  the  French  squadron 
on  the  coast  of  Africa,  332,  333,  346 
to  348,  482  to  484  ;  French  prisons, 
Horrors  of,  30,  162,  166  to  169,  425, 
426,  629,  630,  641,  657  ;  French 
prisoners  of  war  in  Liverpool,  162  to 
165,  173,  283,  284,  426,  427  ;  Ex- 
penses on  ditto,  664  ;  Their  skill, 
426  ;  Astonishing  voracity  of  a  French 
prisoner,  427  ;  Romantic  adventure 
of  a  prisoner,  427  ;  Ruse  of  a  French 
privateer,  378  ;  Monsieur  Renaud's 
squadron  destroyed  by  Liverpool 
ships,  346  to  348  ;  French  merchants 
ruined,  250  ;  Dunkirk  privateers,  114, 
261,  265  ;  Martinique,  201  :  French 
privateer  blown  up,  337  ;  Dastardly 
French  action,  484 

Frenchmen,  Enraged,  69,  124;  Inhuman 
Frenchmen,  318 

French  Privateers  and  Cruisers,  &c  : — 
LAgricole,  328  ;  L? Ambuscade,  311  ; 
L?  Amelie,  428  ;  L?  Aventure,  343  ; 
Black  Prince,  261,  265  ;  Black  Prin- 
cess, 278  ;  Bristol,  99  ;  Bucentaure, 
400,  403  ;  Bougainville,  309  ;  Le 
Cupidon,  425  ;  Convention,  348  ; 
Count  de  Guichen,  290 ;  Curieuse, 
381  ;  Countess  de  Maurepas,  291  ; 
Diligente,  425  ;  Etourdie,  270  ;  Fri- 
pon,  285  ;  Ferret,  360 ;  Fortune,  490 ; 
La  Gironde,  384 ;  Le  Grand  Decide, 
379,  380,  391;  Gronyard,  119;  Le 
Guerrier,  316 ;  General  Augereau, 
392  ;  General  Erneuf,  393,  395  ; 
Hirondelle,  60,  70 ;  Le 'Jeune  Richard, 
409,  411  ;  Jupiter,  152,  153  ;  Lange- 
sant,  219 ;  Languedoc,  220  ;  Levia- 
than, 482,  483  ;  Magician,  270  ; 
Mauchault,  122,  150;  Marshal  Belle- 
2Z 


isle,  104,  134,  174,  175  ;  Marqttis  de 
Jarvis,  493  ;  Le  Mars,  289,  343,  384, 
493 ;  Minerva,  222 ;  La  Modeste,  243, 
339;  Morgan  Rattler,  341 ;  Montague, 
330;  Monsieur,  252,  26$;  Mutiny, 
1 19  ;  Paulina,  248  ;  La  Parkin,  306; 
Poursuivant,  384,  385  ;•  President 
Parker,  367  ;  Sans  Culottes,  318, 
328;  St.  Michael,  482,  483;  St. 
Louis,  149  ;  Semillante,y.^\  Terror 
of  England,  295  ;  Vengeance,  246, 
412  ;  Zenily,  363 

Funeral  of  a  captain,  Curious,  153 ;  Of 
an  American  commander,  447  ;  Of 
husbind  and  wife,  165 

Furniture  and  clothes  for  Grandy  King 
George,  545,  546 


Gallant  defence  of  the  William  Heath- 
cote,  391  to  393 

Gallant  fights,  149,  196,  245,  271,  288, 
289,  310,  334,  335,  338,  343  to  346, 
354,  366,  368,  369,  373,  384,  385, 
394;  419,  421,  434,  437,"  439,  443, 
445 

Gallantry  of  slaves,  560,  561,  564,  565 

"  General  Gage,"  558 

Gallinas,  551,  553 

Gaol  in  Great  Howard  St.,  426 

Garston,  Manor  of,  240 

Generous  privateer  owners,  19,  401 

Gibraltar  relieved,  297,  298 

Ginger,  100,  129,  251,  293,  487 

Glasgow's  protest  against  Admiralty 
neglect,  450  to  452 

Gold  dust,  172,  314,  448,  494 

Gold  and  silver,  39,  97,  122,  258,  485 

Golden  Fleece,  The,  113 

Golden  Lion,  Shareholders  in  the,  80 
81,83 

Golden  Lyon,  Whaler's  crew  resist  im- 
pressment, 157 

Gong-gong  Captain,  550,  553  _ 

Goods  ordered  by  African  kings,  539 
545  to  547 

Government  and  invasion,  262 

Gorilla,  First  account  of,  615 

Grahme,  Capt.  W.,  His  heroic  conduct, 
379,  38o 

Granby,  Marchioness  of,  her  patriotic 
plan,  225 ;  Verses  in  her  honour,  226 ; 
Marquis  of,  his  interest  in  Liverpool 
privateers,  225,  265,  668 

Greenland  ships  armed,  304 ;  Their 
crews  resist  the  press-gangs,  83,  84, 
157  ;  Whale  fishery,  80,  Si 

Grenville  ministry  and  abolition   619 


706 


INDEX  TO  SUBJECTS. 


Greyhounds  of  the  ocean,  119,  122,  144, 

333.  352 

Guillotined,  A  bishop,  330 ;  Women,  629 

Guinea  voyages,  Crimps  and,  323 ; 
Dangers  of,  488, 520 ;  Guinea  cargoes, 
473.  539,  540.  555  5  Guinea  mer- 
chants and  the  sailors,  557  to  560 ; 
Lists  of  Gumeam^n  cleared  out  of 
Liverpool,  675  to  677,  68 1  to  685  ; 
Darby  Guineaman  unrigged  by 
sailors,  555 

Gumbo,  a  type,  477 

Gunpowder,  88,  104 ;  Exportation  pro- 
hibited, 555 

Guns  carried  by  Liverpool  ships,  2  to  17, 
87,  88,  134,  170,  183,  279,  667  to  669 

H 

Hail  of  grape  shot,  420 

Hand  to  hand  conflict,  381,  382 

Harriet,    remarkable    success     of     the, 

3°5,  306 

"  Hawks  abroad,     321.322 
Heavy  affliction,  305 
Heroic  recapture  of  the  Hiram,  380  to 

383 

Hides,  121,  123,  128,  218,  248,  250,  253 

Highwaymen,  279 

Horrible  carnage,  107  to  no,  400 

Horrors  of  impressment,  320  to  326  ;  Of 
the  middle  passage,  480,  481,  568, 
582  to  593,  641  to  644,  651  to  654; 
Of  French  prisons,  30,  162,  166  to 
169,  425,  426,  629,  630,  6di,  657 

How  a  waif  became  a  merchant  prince, 
484,  485 

Hoylake,  258,  259,  292,  307 

Humane  society,  305 

Humanity  to  prisoners  enjoined,  24,  27, 
29  ;  To  slaves,  601,  602 

Hutchinson,  Capt.  William,  his  method 
of  arming  and  manoeuvring  privateers, 
i — 1 6  ;  Connection  with  Fortunatus 
Wright,  42,  45,  48,  49 ;  Commands 
the  Liverpool  privateer  and  captures 
several  rich  prizes,  127 — 130  ;  Hails 
British  man-of-war  in  French,  terrible 
result,  131 — 2 ;  Cruising  in  the 
Mediterranean,  French  prizes,  narrow 
escape  from  de  la  Clue's  squadron, 
captures  French  privateers  and  other 
prizes,  relinquishes  the  command  in 
order  to  carry  out  his  scheme  for 
supplying  Liverpool  with  live  fish, 
133  ;  Offers  to  resume  the  command 
and  to  curb  the  insolence  of  Thurot, 
134 ;  The  cruise  dropped,  he  is 
appointed  principal  water  bailiff  and 


dockmaster  of  Liverpool,  attempt  on 
his  life,  135  ;  His  work  on  seaman- 
ship and  naval  architecture,  early  life, 
cook  on  a  small  collier,  136  ;  New- 
castle colliers  and  East  India  ships, 
ship  club,  voyage  to  China,  138  ;  His 
method  of  brewing  tea,  139  ;  Serves 
in  the  Mediterranean,  danger  from 
French  prisoners,  over- polite  French 
captain,  139  ;  Partnership  with 
Fortunatus  Wright,  a  strange  cure, 
his  live  fish  scheme,  Corporation 
subsidy,  curious  prejudice  in  Liver- 
pool against  cod-smacks,  140  ;  His 
daring  spirit,  raises  volunteers  against 
Thurot,  invents  reflecting  mirrors, 
improves  the  approaches  to  the 
harbour,  141  ;  His  observations  on 
the  tides,  etc.,  142  ;  Present  from  the 
Corporation  for  his  ' '  Practical  Sea- 
man," tribute  from  Sir  T.  Frankland, 
143  ;  Catastrophes  caused  by  the 
ignorance  of  shipbuilders  in  the  eight- 
eenth century,  anecdote  of  Bryan 
Blundell,  144  ;  Hutchinson's  fondness 
for  scientific  experiments,  145  ;  He 
founds  the  Liverpool  Marine  Society, 
his  benevolence,  patriotism  and  piety, 
146 — 148;  His  cod-smack  sent  ex- 
press, 174;  Commands  the  Queen's 
battery,  223  ;  His  death,  383 


I 


Illegal  seizure,  312 

Imports,  622 

Impress  service  (see  press-gangs. ) 

Indigo,  39,  89,  92,  103,   114,    121,   122, 

123,  128, 171,  205,  217,  218,  224,  227, 

232, 233,234,  235,  236,  244,  246,  247, 

248,  250, 251,  252,  253,  293,  305,  414 
Infernal  bombs,  640 
Insignia  of  the  men-stealers,  473 
Insurance,  87,  99,   154,    172,   173,  230, 

43.2.  433.  45',  649,  650 
Invasion,  threat  of,  388 
Ireland,    Captain  Crow   on,    656 ;  Irish 

provisions,  1 70  ;  Irish  character,  23  ; 

Inhuman   Irishmen,   278,    295,  296 ; 

Irishmen  in  the  French  service,  265, 

278,  291,  295,  296,  336 
Islay,  Thurot's  descent  on,  173  to  175 
Isles  de  Los,  332.  346 
Isle  of  Man,  263,  485,  559,  626,  656  657, 

638 

Iver,  the  clan,  355  to  359 
Ivory,  172,  224,  229,  246,  250,  294,  301, 

307,  312,  448,  480,  486,  489,  493,  494 


INDEX  TO  SUBJECTS, 


707 


J 

Jacobites,  79,  94,  165 

Jefferson  on  privateering,  193,  458 

Jesuit  defender  of  slave  trading,  572  to  575 

John  the  Painter,  scare,  194,  195 

"Jonah  on  board,"  A,  503,  504 

Jones,  Paul,  199,  223,  262 

Jamaica  fleet,  287 


K 

Kidnapping,   538,   541,   544,   545,   563, 

578,  583,  584 
"King's  Arms,"  Scenes  at  the,  577   to 

579  ;  Toast  at,  617 
King  George,  Letter  of  Marque,  59,  60  ; 

King    Holiday    on    abolition,    650; 

King  Pepple  on  Manxmen,  638,  657 ; 

King  William's  slave,  477 
Kirby,  Capt.,  151 
Kirke,  Col.,  477 

Kirkpatrick,  Capt.  Walter,  150,  161 
Kitchingman,  Joseph,  323,  324 
Kneal,  Capt.  C.,  600 
Knighthood,  etc.,  offered  for  the  capture 

of  a  Liverpool  hero,  51,  52,  54,  58 
Knights  of  M  alta,  Chagrin  of,  69 
Knight,  John,  82 
Knubley,  Capt.  Geo.,  428 


L 


"  Laced  Hat  Gentry,"  113 
Ladies  and  Privateering,  122,  225 
Lancaster,    ships,    337,"  338.   343.   344 ; 

Slave  trade  of,  578  ;  Mr.    Clarkson's 

visit  to,  578 
Launch,  354  ;  Of  a  privateer  and  slaver, 

184,  185 
Law  Society,  615  ;  Suits,  413,  563,  567, 

568 
Leander,  Laughable  scene  on  board  the, 

452 
Legal    opinion    on    slavery,    553,    554  ; 

Legal    complement    of    slaves    and 

seamen,  608 
Legislation  and  slavery,  468,  469,  470, 

473 

Leghorn  authorities  and  British  priva- 
teering, 41,  46,  47,  50,  52,  54,  55, 
6 1  ;  British  residents  of  Leghorn, 
44  to  47,  49,  51,  52,  54,  59,  62,  63, 
68  ;  Leghorn  packets,  192  ;  Trade 
decaying,  60,  62,  67 

Letters  from  African  Kings  and  Chiefs, 
543  to  549,  553 ;  From  slave-captains, 


489.  533»  54 *  5  From  Roscoe  to  a 
slave-captain,  614  ;  From  prisoners 
of  war,  151,  219  to  221,  255,  260, 
270,  271,  283,  314,  318,  319; 
Curious  letter  of  a  Scotch  sailor,  283 

Letters  of  Marque  and  Reprisals  : — Cost 
of,  19,  663  ;  Against  the  Spaniards, 
37  ;  Advertised,  169  ;  Against  the 
Americans,  182  ;  Against  the  Span- 
iards, &c. ,  226,  256  ;  Against  the 
French,  304  ;  Terms  of  the  Eliza's 
letter  of  Marque  disputed,  414,  415  ; 
Against  the  French,  388  ;  The  last 
granted,  455  ;  Leyland  &  Co.'s,  602; 
Captain  Crow's,  650 ;  Swallow's, 
670  to  673  ;  The  Castor's  (see 
illustration)  ;  Confederate  Govern- 
ment and  Letters  of  Marque,  459  ; 
United  States  Congress  and  Letters 
of  Marque,  459 

Leyland,  Thomas,  his  slave  trading  and 
privateering  ventures,  592,  599  to 
608,  617,  620 

Licenses  for  armed  vessels,  340 

Linen  ships,  248,  291,  441 

"  Linguisters,"  18,  352,  489 

Lippincott  case,  536 

Liverpool,  its  frigates  in  the  Civil  War, 
35  ;  Blockade  of,  86,  154  ;  Its  patri- 
otism, 215,  216,  388,  389  ;  The 
"  Blues,"  79,  94,  95,  223,  264,  293  ; 
Preparing  to  receive  Monsieur 
Thurot,  171  to  173  ;  To  receive  Paul 
Jones,  223,  262  ;  A  Liverpool  hero, 
40,  280  ;  Liverpool  estates  and  priva- 
teering, 92,  310,  311;  The  Custom- 
house, 158,  187,  474,  608  ;  Liverpool 
in  war  time,  171  to  173,  388,  389  ; 
Rivalry  with  Bristol,  171,  467,  469, 
494 ;  Liverpool  as  a  bathing  resort, 
302;  Its  streets,  187,  188,  281,  323; 
Coffee-houses  and  taverns,  96,  100, 

113,    121,     128,    130,     133,     135,    163, 

476  ;  Liverpool  Library,  141  ; 
Marine  Society,  146 ;  Liverpool  in 
the  eighteenth  century,  184  to  189 ; 
(in  1780),  281  ;  (in  1795),  622,  623  ; 
Its  newspapers  of  that  period,  17, 
64  ;  Its  seven  lean  years,  301  ; 
Twelve  fat  years,  179;  Ship  build- 
ing, 473  ;  Sowing  its  wild  oats,  595 ; 
Liverpool  pirates,  479  ;  Merchants 
and  the  Government,  209,  304  ; 
Sailors'  riots,  319,  433,  555  to  560  : 
Bravery  of  Liverpool  men,  184,  247, 
261,  264,  265,  270,  271,  274,  304, 
353.  363,  370,  394,  4o8,  413  J  Liver- 
pool morals  and  manners,  176,  177, 
1 88,  189,  194,  301,  302,  324,  622, 
623  ;  Lyceum  Newsroom,  657  ; 


708 


INDEX  TO  SUBJECTS 


Marvellous  progress  and  greatness  of 
Liverpool,  38,  39,  303,  609,  610, 
621  to  624  ;  Its  armed  merchant 
cruisers,  461,  462  ;  Deterioration  of 
the  inhabitants,  301,  302  ;  Effect  of 
the  American  War  on  the  progress 
of  Liverpool,  301,  302.  Effect  of 
abolition,  620,  621  ;  Panic  in  Liver- 
pool, 559 ;  Joy  in,  293,  327  ; 
Mourning,  304  ;  Liverpool,  Earl  of, 
supports  the  slave  trade,  573,  611 

Liverpool  privateers  and  Letters  of 
Marque,  in  the  war  with  Spain,  39  ; 
Guns  and  men  (1744),  39;  In  the 
Seven  Years'  War,  79  to  178  ;  Their 
activity,  176  ;  Result  of  privateering 
in  that  war,  175,  176  ;  In  the  war  of 
American  Independence,  179  to  302  ; 
Tonnage,  guns  and  men  (1779),  20; 
In  the  wars  of  the  French  Revolution, 
303  to  429  ;  Their  number  (in  1793), 
315 ;  In  the  second  war  with  America, 
430  to  462  ;  List  of  the  principal 
Liverpool  privateers  and  Letters  of 
Marque  in  the  war  with  America, 
France,  Spain,  and  Holland  (i775 — 
83),  667  to  669 ;  Liverpool  cruisers 
in  American  waters,  216,  224;  Share- 
holders in  a  Liverpool  privateer,  19, 
31  ;  List  of  officers,  crew,  etc.,  18, 
661,  662  (see  also  illustration)  ; 
Cost  of  fitting  out  the  Enterprize,  18, 
66 1  to  664  ;  Effect  of  a  sermon  on 
privateering,  284 ;  Moral  effect  of 
privateerinsr,  176  to  178,  184; 
Privateers  and  Divine  worship,  147  ; 
The  Liverpool's  mistake,  131;  Adver- 
tisements of  Liverpool  privateers, 
134,  160,  161,  169,  171  ;  Marquis  of 
Granby  and  Liverpool  privateers, 
225,  265;  Did  privateering  pay? 
175,  176,  184;  Children  and  priva- 
teering, 1 86,  1 88,  189  ;  Capture  of 
the  Anson  privateer,  95,  96 

Liverpool  ships  captured  by  the  enemy, 
101,  102,  114,  116,  117,  119,  125, 
148  to  153,  155,  157,  169,  170,  171, 

i75>  J76>  i93>  2O°  to  2O2>  2O7>  2I7> 
219,  222,  225,  233,  236,  244  to  248, 
-  250,  252,  254,  255,  261,  262,  265  to 
267,  270  to  272,  277,  279,  280,  282, 
284,  294,  295,  297,  299,  300,  308, 
309,.  312  to  318,  328  to  330,  332,  338, 
340,  341,  343,  348,  360,  366,  367, 

374,  379,  381,  384,  39i,  392,  39^, 
400,  402,  403,  408,  409,  416,  420, 
425,  428,  440,  441,  445,  448,  449, 
452,  565,  659  to  661,  665  to  667 
Liverpool  Privateers  and  Letters  of 
Marque : — 


Active,  216,  224,  314,  417;  Admiral 
Blake,  39 ;  Adventure,  149,  255  ; 
Agnes,  329  ;  Agreeable,  355,  362, 

366  ;    Ainsley,    387  ;     Albion,    272  ; 
Allanson,    315,    332;    Alder,    448; 
Alert,  272,  284,  317;  Alexander,  127, 
291,    449  ;    Alexander   Lindo,    422, 
423  ;    Amazon.     257 — 259  ;    Amity, 
314;  Ann,  306,  308,  3C9,  341,  448; 
Ann  and  Jane,  308  ;  Anna  and  Ellen, 
389 ;  Anson,  63,  87,  88,  89,  95,  96, 
112;  Ann  Parr,  387;  Antigallican, 
266,  299  ;    Arethusa,  239  ;    Ashton, 
254;  Atalanta,  246;   Aurora,   153; 
Austin,    170;    Backhouse,   344,   345, 
361  ;  Balgrove,  284  ;  Baltimore,  123; 
Barbadoes,  395  ;  Barbara,  285,  286, 
363;   Barton,   331,    355,   369,    370; 
Bella,  299  ;  Belcour,  216,  222  ;  Bel- 
lona,   227,   401,   402 ;   Benson,   263, 
371,    372;     Bess,    238,    250,    268; 
Betty,   122,    160,  282  ;   Betsey,   247, 

331  ;  Betsey  and  Susan,  364  ;  Blake- 
ney,  63,   89  ;  Blossom,  257  ;  Boston, 
224  ;  Bolton,  336,  383  ;  Brave  Blake- 
ney,  87,  90,  91,  112  ;  Brent  on,  440  ; 
Bridget,  267,  293,  438,  439  ;  Brilli- 
ant, 216,  229;  Britannia,  393 — 395; 
Brooks,    368,    560 — 562,    585,    586  ; 
Brothers,  310,  341, 364,  425 ;  Catcher, 
246 ;   Casar,    1 27  ;    Caldicot   Castle, 
390;  Catherine,  103,  155;  Ceres,  270; 
Charlotte,    367 ;     Charming   Kitty, 
259;  Clarendon,  218,  251;  Christo- 
pher, 313,  329;   Col.  Gascoyne,  316; 

Cochrane,  333  ;   Commerce,  255,  256, 

332  ;    Corn-wallis,  349  ;    Cotmt  Bel- 
gioso,  300,  301  ;   Courier,  315  ;   Cres- 
cent, 334  ;  Dart,  359  ;  Defiance,  261, 
262  ;    Delight,  228.  254  ;    Dispatch, 
310,  448  ;   Diana,  245,  412  ;   Dick, 
236,   288,    376,    377,   379;   Dragon, 
243,  244,  268  ;   Dreadnought,    252  ; 
Dublin,  255  ;  Dudgeon,  308;  Duke  of 
Leeds,  316  ;   Eagle,  278,  360  ;   Earl 
of  Chester,  423  ;  Earl  of  Derby,  307; 
Edgar,  331  ;    Ellen,   151,   152,  247, 
275.  276,  329  ;   Ellis,  216,  217,  231, 
234;    Eliza,  413,  414;    Eliza  Ann, 
448  ;    Eliza  Jane,   359  ;    Elizabeth, 
201,  329,  338,   359;   Emperor,  280; 
Enterprise,  18  to  21,  24,  26,  30,  31, 
248,  268,  331,  661 — 664,  668  ;  Eolus, 
334 ;  Essex,  285  ;  Fair  Penitent,  355 ; 
fame.  45,  46,  48,  49,  103,  104  ;  Fame, 
339,  342,  355;  Fancy,  207,  300,  316; 
Fanny,    209,  219,  444  to  446  ;  Fa- 
vourite.   309  ;  Ferina,   339  ;  Ferret, 
284 ;   Fly,    282,    285 ;   Forbes,    355, 

367  ;  Fortittide,  407,  408 ;  Fortune, 


INDEX  TO  SUBJECTS. 


709 


331  ;  Friendship,  247  ;  George  and 
Betty,  171;  General  Blakeney,  123; 
General  Keppel,  384  ;  Gipsey,  307, 
308  ;  Glenmore,  412  ;  Golden  Age, 
315  ;  Governor  Williamson,  364  ; 
Grace.  201  ;  Grand  Buck,  88,  104 ; 
Grange,  312  ;  Granville,  152  ;  G";-^- 
j<w,  207,  217,  231,  234,  257,  330; 
Green-wood,  246  ;  Greyhound,  218  ; 
Griffin,  251  ;  Halifax  Packet,  311  ; 
Thomas  Hall,  229 ;  Harriet,  305, 
306  ;  Harlequin,  286,  299,  342,  343, 
344 ;  Harmony,  396 ;  Hawke,  280, 
331  ;  Heart  of  Oak,  224,  291 ;  Henry, 
365,  366,  440  ;  Hercules,  266  ;  77<?/-£- 
/i?r^f,  252 ;  jffifr<7,  200,  266,  267  ; 
Hesketh,  124 ;  Hibernia,  107,  108, 
HO;  Hiram,  380,  381,  384;  77<?/£, 
89,  235,  317.  403  ;  Hunter,  252,  253; 
Hypocrite,  280  ;  Industry,  285  ;  7;^- 
ray//,  159;  Isabella,  213  to  215; 
/rawf,  88,  104,  105,  107,  210,  211; 
Intrepid,  255,  397 ;  Jamaica,  254, 
337  ;  James,  264,  329  ;  James  and 
Mary,  282  ;  _/?a«,  311  ;  Jenny,  103, 
227,  278,  279,  293,  308  ;  yM«,  207  ; 
Johnson,  122.  202,  207  ;  Juliana, 
257,  417  5  /»»<>.  237,  252,  384—386; 
King  George,  59,  60,  63  ;  King  Grey, 
312  ;  King  of  Prussia,  64,  88,  no  to 
113  ;  A7«£-  Pepple,  354,  368  ;  A7//j, 
287,  288,  293  ;  Knight,  235  ;  Knuts- 
ford.  152;  Lady  Frances ,  yfi  ;  Lady 
Granby,  224,  225  ;  Lancaster.  397  ; 
Lascelles,  421 ,  422 ;  Laurel,  200,  404  ; 
Leghorn  Galley,  192  ;  Lightning,  289; 
7,/tffe  /?<?«,  234.  235  ;  Lively,  265  ; 
Liverpool,  88,  127,  129  to  135,  160, 
161,  294,  442,  443;  Lookout,  282, 
285  ;  7m/  Charlemont,  307  ;  70/Y/ 
Cranstoun,  420;  70rc/  Stanley,  314, 
335;  Lord  Nelson,  396;  Lord  Kodney, 
359  ;  Loyal  Ann,  309  ;  7«rj',  359  ; 
Lurcher,  287  ;  Lydia,  201,  219,  287, 
319,  420;  Mandrin,  87,  96,  97; 
Margaret,  316;  Marlborough,  123, 
199  ;  Mars,  279,  402,  403  ;  Mary, 
101,  231  to  233,  308,  309;  Mary, 
329,  331,  423  ;  Mary  Ann,  199,  333; 
J/arj'  7i//e«,  334,  335  ;  ^/ay,  433~ 
436  ;  Max-well,  440 ;  Mercury,  88, 
98  to  101,  119,  317  ;  Mermaid,  299  ; 
Mentor,  239  to  243  ;  Mersey,  219, 
337,  401  ;  Minerva,  285  ;  Modeste, 
269 ;  Morgan  Rattier,  341  ;  Molly, 
233,  234,  250;  Molly,  260,  261,  287; 
Molly,  295,  297,  332  ;  Mossley  Hill, 
294;  Nancy,  169,  234,  253,  441  ; 
Nanny,  244,  245,  254;  Nereus,  318, 
341;  Nymph,  396;  Ocean,  360;  CM/ 


,  39;  Old  Dick,  331 ;  CVm?,  318; 
Oporto,  317  ;  Ottway,  123  ;  Pallas, 
267  ;  Paris,  449 ;  Patsey,  284  to  286 ; 
^££7.  278  ;  Pelican,  144,  304.  305  ; 
Pemberton,  150,  160,  161  ;  Philip 
Stevens,,  316;  Pilgrim,  310;  Planter, 
171,  374  to  376;  TWtf,  205  to  207, 
216 ;  Polly,  252,  313,  328;  7'0/tf, 
409  ;  Porcupine.  278  ;  Prince  Fred- 
erick, 156;  Posthumous,  359 ;  Prince 
of  Orange,  282  ;  Prince  of  Wales, 
307  ;  Princess  Elizabeth,  306  ;  7V0- 
vidence,  I59;  252  ;  Prussian  Hero, 
92,  159;  Pursuit,  378;  Quaker,  290; 
Queen,  440 ;  Quest,  294  ;  Ranger, 
257,  360;  Kawlinson,  251,  287; 
Recovery,  341 ;  Resolution,  88,  118  to 
1 2O,  122;  Retaliation,  247  ;  Revenge, 
87,  96,  97  ;  Richard,  219,  257  ;  AV 
fo/.rf,  313;  AVft?,  235;  Rover,  299; 
Rumbold,  229,  294  ;  Sally,  219,  272, 
339,  428  ;  .S'aw,  193  ;  Sarah,  195, 
J96,  331,  387  ;  Sarah  Goulburn, 
205,  216,  224,  243;  Satisfaction,  224; 
Savannah,  316 ;  Shannon,  448 ; 
Shawe,  119;  Shaw,  419;  Shipley, 
402  ;  Sisters,  201  ;  Snapper,  277  ; 
Sparling,  210,  211,  219,  266;  ^/V- 
_/?;-6',  255  ;  ,5/V)/,  88,  119  to  122,  161, 
235  ;  5/.  6W^,  41,  50,  54  to  59, 
66,  67,  268 ;  5V.  Tfcfer,  228,  229 ; 
i'/flf,  224,  262,  263,  336  ;  Stately, 
282  ;  Stormont,  285  ;  Sturdy  Beggar, 
253  ;  Success,  248  ;  Surprise,  280 : 
Susannah,  340,  360 ;  Swallow,  45, 
355>  356,  358,  367  ;  Swallow,  670  to 
673  ;  Swan,  331  ;  Swift,  254,  312  ; 
Tartar.  122,  237,  277  ;  Telemachus, 
263,  280 ;  Terrible,  39,  250,  268 ; 
Terror,  282  ;  Thames,  448  :  T^w, 
224;  Thistle,  123  124;  Thomas, 
!95>  196,  306,  342  ;  Thomas,  350  to 
354;  7  hurloe,  39;  7'hree  Brothers, 
224 ;  7'^r^  Friends,  26 1  ;  y<?/«w 
Tobin,  436 — 438 ;  Tonyn,  270 ;  7iw/, 
218  252,  291,  293 ;  7b;«j-,  219 ; 
Tr afford,  116,  149;  To-wnley,  374; 
Townside,  246,  286  ;  7w0  Brothers, 
230,  368 ;  Tyger,  1 70,  254  ;  Ulysses, 
263,  Union,  189,  316;  Upton,  85, 
1 56  ;  Valiant,  200  ;  Venerable,  398  ; 
Vengeance,  263,  270,  280 ;  Venus, 
292  ;  Viper,  236  ;  Vulture,  253  ; 
Warren.  40  ;  Wasp,  224,  250  ;  fF«//, 
272  to  274,  354  ;  Wsj/  Indian,  399  ; 
Westmoreland  398 ;  Wheel  of  For- 
tune, 156  ;  Who's  Afraid  263  ; 
Wilding,  337  ;  JFz7£,  211,  212,  254  ; 
William,  268,  315,  328  ;  Windsor, 
148  ;  Windsor  Castle  Packet,  409  to 


INDEX  TO  SUBJECTS. 


411  ;  William  Heathcoie,  391  ; 
Woolton,  285  ;  Voting  Henry,  230 

Liverpool  Slave  Trade,  how  it  originated 
and  thrived,  465  to  495  ;  Underselling 
London  and  Bristol,  470,  471  ;  Pre- 
dominance of  Liverpool  as  a  slaving 
town,  469 ;  Town  clerk  of,  469 ; 
Liverpool  bricks  "cemented  with 
blood,"  594  ;  Guineamen  menaced  by 
the  French,  331  ;  Liverpool  oppo- 
nents of  the  slave  trade,  568  to  575  ; 
Guineamen  cleared,  469,  470,  472, 
678  ;  Liverpool's  revenue  from  the 
slave  trade,  596,  598,  599,  607,  608  ; 
Ruinous  effects  of  abolition  predicted, 
610,  613,  621  ;  Supplying  slaves  to 
foreign  countries,  616  ;  List  of  Liver- 
pool's African  merchants  in  1752, 
674;  In  1806,  679;  List  of  Liverpool 
ships  trading  to  Africa  in  1752.  675 
to  677  ;  in  1798—99,  68 1  to  685  ; 
Comparative  statement  of  ships 
cleared  out  from  the  ports  of  London, 
Liverpool,  and  Bristol  (1795  to  I8o4), 
680  ;  Effect  of  the  first  American  war 
on  the  slave  trade,  555  ;  Effects  of 
abolition  in  Liverpool,  620,  621 ;  The 
last  slave-ship  out  of  Liverpool,  626, 
649  to  655  ;  Demoralising  effects  of 
the  slave  trade  controversy  in  Liver- 
pool, 581  ;  Champions  of  the  iniq- 
uity. 572  to  575)  DI1  to  613,  617,  649, 
65°,  655 

(See  also  Corporation  of  Liverpool,  slave- 
ships,  slave-captains,  slaves) 

Lloyd's,  Opinion  at,  300 ;  sensation  at,  433 

Log  of  a  slave-ship,  extract  from,  686, 
687  ;  From  the  log  of  the  Bellona 
privateer,  227 

"  Loggerheads  revived,"  252 

Logwood,  128.  263,  398 

London  privateers  and  Letters  of  Marque, 
49,  101,  105,  122,  210,  266.  317,  336, 
343  ;  London  slave-traders  and  ships, 
200,  467,  469,  473,  477,  494,  618; 
Cheese  ship  attacks  a  privateer,  349  ; 
Decline  of  London  trade,  181  ; 
Chamberlain  of  London,  469 

Losses  to  commerce,  40 ;  Of  the  enemy, 
388 

Lottery  slave-ship,  profits  of  voyages, 
599,  600,  607 

Loziisa  slave-ship,  profits  of,  605,  607 

Love  story,  Romantic,  70  to  78  ;  disap- 
pointed love,  118,  119;  Newton's 
love  for  Mary  Catlett,  496  to  498, 
502,  503  ;  Love  in  the  Tower  Gaol, 
427 

Ludicrous  adventure  of  a  Yankee,  452, 453 

Lyceum  Newsroom,  657 


M 

M'Quie,  Capt.  Peter,  his  gallant  defence 

of    the     Thomas    against    a    French 

corvette,    350  to   352  ;  Action    with 

Spanish    ship    of    war,    353,     354  ; 

Killed  in  an  insurrection  of  slaves  on 

the  middle  passage,  592,  593 
MacRitchie,  Rev.  Wm.   (of  Clunie),  his 

visit  to  Liverpool,  622,  623 
Magazines,  The,  323,  324 
Magistrates   and   the    press-gang,     158 ; 

and  the  rioters,  319,  555,  559 
Mahogany,    100,    121,  485,    487  ;    And 

murder,  576 
Malta,  57,  58,  60,  61,  63  to  65,  68,  69, 

76.  77 

Manchester  goods,  467,  468 
Man-stealing,    Astounding    defence    of, 

572  to  575 
Manillas,  539,  546 
Manners  and  morality  in  Liverpool,  176, 

177,    1 88,    189,    194,  301,  302,  324, 

623 

Manning  of  British  ships,  280 
Manxmen,    152,   559,   626,   629  to  631, 

634,    638,    656,    657  ;  Manx   flag  at 

Bonny,  657 

Maritime  School  at  Chelsea,  143 
Marseilles,  45  to  47,  49,  51,  52,  57  to 

59,  64,  67,  69 
Mary  beats   off  six   French   privateers, 

423,  424 
•Massacre   at    Old  Calabar,  529  to  542, 

576;  Of  shipwrecked  slaves,  590 
Mayor  lying  in  state    148 
Members   of  Parliament  and   the   slave 

trade,  567,  611  to  613,  617  to  620 
Merchant,  A  noble  Liverpool,  296,  579, 

580 
Merchants'  Coffee-house,    96,    100,  121, 

130,  133-  135 

Merchants  and  Shipowners  of  Liverpool, 
Their  shrewdness,  26,  35,  36  ;  They 
fit  out  privateers,  87,  134,  135,  182 
to  184  ;  Their  loyalty  and  warlike 
spirit,  215,  216 ;  They  object  to 
publication  of  shipping  lists,  155  > 
Warn  captains  who  neglect  convoy, 
189  ;  Their  memorials  and  protests 
to  the  Government,  1 80,  269,  338, 
449,  450 ;  They  compete  for  the 
American  trade,  300 ;  Encourage 
gallantry,  436;  Their  economy,  471  ; 
Character,  594,  595 

Mercantile  Marine  Association,  205  ; 
Mercantile  marine  of  England  and 
America,  459  10461 

Mersey  Docks  and  Harbour  Board,  622 
to  624 


INDEX  TO  SUBJECTS. 


711 


Meteorological  tables,  141,  142 
Mexico  and  privateering,  455,  456 
Middle  Passage,  its  horrors  and  mortality, 
234,   334,  480,  481,  486,  489,   549, 
568,  582  to  593,  616,  641  to  644,  651 
to    654  ;   Its    duration,    586  ;     Merry 
sport,    639 ;    Orgie   of  slaves,    593  ; 
Disgusting  scenes,  586,  587 
Midshipman    Mottley,    his  escape,   404, 

405 
Military,   172,  264,  265,  287,  389,  559, 

617 

Millionaire's  Ventures,  A,  599  to  608 
Miscellaneous  prize  cargoes,  96,  97,  100, 
104,  ill,  121,  124,  130  to  133,  171, 
217,  227,  228,  231,  234  to  239,  244, 
247  to  251,  253,  254,  267,  282,  308, 
310,  316,  355,  359,  360,  362,  366, 

;  368, 387 

Mistake  of  a  Greenock  ship,   Terrible, 

387 

Mock  Corporation  of  Sephton,  88 

Monkeys,  384,  647,  651,  654 

Moorish  maiden,  Elopement  of,  72  to  78 

' '  Mother  Redcap  "  and  the  privateers- 
men,  323,  324 

Moral  effect  of  privateering,  176  to  178, 
184,  188,  301  ;  Of  slave  trading,  572 
to  577,  581,  595,  616 

Mortality  in  French  prisons,  260,  272  ; 
Of  slaves,  234,  334,  481,  486,  489, 
549,  586  to  588,  616,  651;  654;  At 
Old  Calabar,  535  ;  Of  seamen  in  the 
slave  trade,  489,  493,  605.  651,  654 

Mossley  Hill  estate,  240,  241 

Murder,  by  sailors,  336 ;  Of  Amboe 
Robin  John,  538  ;  Mutiny  and  mur- 
der at  Hoylake,  102  ;  At  sea,  299 

Muster  rolls  of  Guineamen,  575>  578, 
579,  605  ;  Of  privateers,  661,  662 
(also  illustration) 

N 

Nailing  the  colours  to  the  mast,  379,  409, 

437 

Nation  sick  of  war,  292  ;  A  national 
iniquity,  523,  524,  595 

Naval  lethargy,  67,  114,  116  to  118,  450 
to  452  ;  Naval  victories,  293,  387, 
388  ;  Naval  power  of  Great  Britain, 
459  to  462 

Negroes,  as  marksmen,  564,  636,  639  ; 
Humour  of,  646,  655  ;  Alarmed,  334, 
591,  644  ;  Faithful,  554  ;  Kindness 
of,  484  ;  Negro  boy  in  the  clockcase, 
558  ;  A  magnanimous  negro.  571  ; 
Negroes  in  the  West  Indies,  645  to 
647  ;  Negroes'  first  view  of  the  sea, 


624  (for  price,   &c.,   of  negroes,  see 
slaves) 

Negro  Row,  474 

Neutral  ships'  certificates,  27,  28 

New  system  of  warfare,  450 

New  York,  200,  208 

Newcastle  colliers,  Frenchman's  admira- 
tion of,  137 

NEWTON,  CAPTAIN  JOHN,  147,  149, 
586,  587  ;  Early  life,  asceticism  and 
profanity,  495,  496 ;  Falls  in  love, 
and  into  the  hands  of  the  press-gang, 
becomes  a  midshipman  and  an 
Atheist.  497  ;  Offends  his  captain, 
deserts  his  ship,  is  arrested,  whipped 
and  degraded,  498;  Tempted  to  com- 
mit suicide  on  the  passage  to  Madeira, 
498  ;  Transferred  to  a  slave-ship,  evil 
conduct,  takes  service  with  a  trader, 
lands  in  Africa,  499 ;  Illness  and 
abject  slavery,  cruelty  of  his  black 
mistress,  terrible  hardships,  500 ; 
Falsely  accused  of  theft,  imprisonment 
and  illusage,  misery  and  mathematics, 
501  ;  Mocked  by  his  master,  a  new 
situation,  danger  of  "growing  black," 
a  ship  from  Liverpool,  502  ;  A  mari- 
ner's blarney,  love  prevails,  embarks 
for  England,  5°3  '•>  Jonah  on  board, 
storm  at  sea,  a  memorable  deliver- 
ance, 503  ;  The  Atheist  prays,  "found 
out  by  the  powerful  hand  of  God," 
weeks  of  suffering,  504  ;  Arrives  in 
Ireland,  no  longer  an  infidel,  505  ; 
Sails  from  Liverpool  as  mate  of  a 
slave-ship,  relapses  into  old  ways, 
illness  in  Africa,  and  recovery,  learns 
Latin,  505  ;  Slaving  adventures  on 
the  Coast,  506 ;  Marriage  and  first 
voyage  as  slave-captain,  506 ;  Noble 
revenge  on  his  black  mistress,  507  ; 
Old  fashioned  discipline,  508  ;  "A 
slave  to  one  woman,"  508;  Takes 
command  of  the  African,  rule  of  life 
at  sea,  509  ;  "In  desert  woods  with 
Thee  my  God,"  5IQ  5  Conspiracy 
frustrated,  511  ;  Life  and  honour  in 
danger,  511 ;  Sunday  on  a  slave-ship, 
511  ;  Covenant  with  God,  512:  Do- 
cility of  slaves  on  the  middle  passage, 
512;  Arrival  in  Liverpool,  attempts 
to  convert  an  old  friend,  513  ;  An 
Atheist's  death,  514;  Returns  thanks 
in  the  churches  at  Liverpool  for  a 
successful  African  voyage,  515  ;  Con 
gratulated  on  'change,  515  ;  Illness 
and  termination  of  his  connection 
with  the  slave  trade,  5J6;  Appointed 
tide  surveyor  at  Liverpool,  516 ; 
Attempts  to  enter  the  Church,  517  ; 


712 


INDEX  TO  SU-BJECTS. 


Failure  at  first  as  a  preacher,  517  ; 
Becomes  curate  of  Olney,  517  ; 
Preaches  at  St.  George's  Church, 
Liverpool,  517  ;  Vicar  of  Olney,  and 
friend  of  Cowper,  518  ;  Joint  author 
of  the  Olney  Hymns,  518  ;  Becomes 
Rector  of  St.  Mary's,  Woolnoth,  518; 
Speaks  of  his  past  life,  519;  Views 
on  the  slave  trade,  520  ;  His  fame  as 
a  writer,  521 ;  Gives  evidence  against 
the  slave  trade,  521  ;  Writes  and 
preaches  against  it,  522  ;  Remembers 
his  former  misery,  524  >  African 
"Blackbirds,"  525;  His  lovable 
character  as  a  pastor,  525  ;  His 
beautiful  death,  526  ;  Singular 
epitaph,  526  ;  His  character  and 
humour,  527  ;  The  secret  of  his 
power,  527 

Noble  revenge,  507 

"Nonagenarian's"  recollections,  184 — 
189 

Nudity  and  cupidity,  244 


o 


Observations  on  tides,  &c. ,  141,  142 

Old  Calabar,  its  chief  men,   533  to  548  ; 

Attack  on  the  Kitty,  333  ;  Mortality 

of  slaves  there,  486  ;  Correspondence 

from,  533  to  548  ;  Terrible  massacre 

at,  53.5  to  542 
Old  Dock,  83  142,    146,   188,  322,  367, 

474,  556 

Oldest  Liverpool  ship,  171 
Olney  Hymns,' 498,  518 
Orders  in  Council,  406,  407,  430,  431, 

555,  6l9 
Owners   of    privateers    and    Letters    of 

Marque  ships,  list  of,  667  to  669 
Owners   of  slave-ships,  674  to  677,  679. 

68 1  to  684 


Palm  Oil,  602 

Pamphlets,    poems,    and   essays   on   the 

slave  trade,   520  to  522,  567  to  574, 

58i. 

Panyaring,  584 
Parliament   and   the  slave    trade,    609, 

611  to  613,  616  to  621 
Passengers,    bravery  of,    333,    345,    370, 

37i,  375,  393-  422,  437,  439,  627 
Pathetic  scenes,  583,  588,  589,  592,  636, 
644,  645,  653,  654  ;  Pathetic  letter  of 
a  slave- captain,  489  ;  Pathetic  death 
of  an  American  commander,  447  ;  Of 


a    Guinea    captain,    379,    380 ;     Of 
Mrs.  Dorothy  Parke,  113 
Peace,     of    Amiens,     304,    387  ;     With 
America,  297,  298  ;  Of  Paris  and  the 
trade   of  Liverpool,  494  ;    Of   1783, 
299,    300     566  ;    "  Peace,    heavenly 
peace,"  453,  454 
Pelican,  H.M.S.  the,  captures  the  Argus, 

446 

Pelican  privateer,  Loss  of,  144,  304,  305 
Penalties    for    saluting    the   town    with 
loaded  cannon,  213,  367  ;  For  slave- 
trading,  625 

Pendant  for  the  Liverpool,  444 

Petitions,    against    war    with   America, 

292  ;    Against   the   abolition   of   the 

slave  trade,   609  to  613,   617,  619  ; 

In    favour   of  abolition,    566,   609  to 

613,  61610619;  Petition  of  a  Liver- 
pool slave-merchant,  616. 

Picton,  Sir  James,  on  privateering,  175, 
176,  184  ;  On  the  slave  trade,  581  ; 
His  statistical  blunders  corrected, 
566,  619,  620 

Pilgrim  estate,  311 

Pilots'  committee,  123,  144 

Pimento,  100,  121,  487 

Piracy,  85,  86,  299,  300,  479,  625  ; 
Terrible  butchery  by  pirates,  107  to 
109  ;  Piratical-looking  scoundrels, 

200,  20 i 

Plymouth  prison,  278,  447 

Pool-lane   (now    South    Castle    Street), 

Desperate  affrays  in   322,  323 
Pontack's  Coffee-house,  93,  96,  97 
Population,  301,  303 
Portuguese  frigate,  Shameful  neglect  by 

a;  374 

Practical  jokers,  390 

Presentation  to  commanders  for  gallan- 
try, &c.,  52,  200,  205,  212,  333,  338, 
377,  378,  385,  386,  398,  401,  4",  436, 
438,  440,  628,  638  ;  To  champions  of 
the  slave-traffic,  573,  576,  611,  613, 

614,  617,  618 

Prescot  Almshouses,  154 ;  A  Prescot 
slave,  554 

Press-gangs  ashore  and  afloat,  Tyranny  of 
the,  5,  29,  84,  85,  102,  138,  157  to 
159,  169,  170,  189,  194,  202,  204, 
238,  256,  208,  269,  289,  292,  302, 
319  to  327,  333,  390,  399,  4M,  415, 
423,  424,  605,  632,  637,  645  ;  Press- 
gang  lion  and  the  sailor  lamb,  325, 
326 

Prices  of  goods,   216  ;  Prices  of  slaves, 

201,  246,  480,  481,  494,    529,  547, 
548,  550,  551,  564,  597   606  to  608  ; 
Prime  cost  of  a  slave,  539,  547,  548, 
55i,  597,  680 


INDEX  TO  SUBJECTS. 


713 


Princess  Guardship,  319 

Prisoners  of  war,  not  to  be  plundered, 
&c. ,  24,  27,  29  ;  Treatment  of,  in 
France,  162,  166  to  170,  282,  283, 
314,  330,  629,  630  ;  In  Liverpool, 
162,  163,  173,  262,  265,  268,  664  ; 
Spanish  usage  of,  372 

Privateers,  British  (in  1745),  49  > 
Activity  of  British,  176,  250  ;  In  the 
British  Colonies,  115;  A  Quaker 
commander,  115;  Golden  age  of 
privateering,  32  ;  Method  of  fitting 
out,  arming,  manning,  and  man- 
oauvring  privateers,  I  to  31  ;  Priva- 
teering dodges,  130,  133,  378 ;  List 
of  American  privateers,  198,  199 ; 
American  opinion  of  privateering, 
!93»  45°  to  459  5  Privateers  in  the 
Channel,  565;  Privateering  "abolish- 
ed," 455  j  Guadeloupe  privateers, 
126  ;  Guernsey,  130,  332,  414  ; 
Martinique,  201  ;  Dunkirk,  114,  261, 
265  ;  Jersey,  249,  284  ;  Ladies  and 
privateering,  122,  225  ;  Prussia  and 
privateering,  456  ;  A  Chester  priva- 
teer, 32  ;  An  Exeter  privateer,  234, 

235  5 

(See  also  American,  French,  and  Liver- 
pool.) 

Privateer  commanders,  jealousy  of,  106  ; 
Their  tactics,  14  ;  A  devout  captain, 
147,  148  ;  His  hobbies,  145  ;  Pay  of 
privateer  captains,  surgeons,  seamen, 
etc.,  31,  66 1  ;  Instructions  to  priva- 
teer commanders  from  owners,  21, 
26,  27  to  30 ;  From  the  government, 
671  to  673  ;  Charge  of  cowardice 
refuted,  97  :  List  of  commanders, 
667  to  669 ;  Defying  the  French,  370 ; 
A  daring  capture,  1 1 1 

Privateersmen,  their  character,  dress, 
habits,  etc.,  5,  6,  88,  96,  97,  112, 
113,  121,  129,  136,  147,  148,  156, 
160,  161,  184,  186  to  188  ;  Their 
wages,  1 8,  31,  66 1  to  664;  Financing 
them,  97  ;  Their  riotous  conduct, 
237,  238  ;  Black  privateersmen,  196, 
396,  397;  A  female  "privateersman," 
1 1 8,  119;  Their  enthusiasm  "for  the 
honour  of  Liverpool,"  339 ;  Prize 
money,  323,  324  ;  Damages  for  im- 
pressing privateersmen,  413  to  416 

Privileges  and  commissions  of  officers  in 
the  slave  trade,  471,  487,  530,  602, 
603,  606 

Prizes,  Act  of  Geo.  III.,  207,  208  ;  Prize 
Courts,  46  to  48,  260,  286,  287,  670 
to  673  ;  Prize  cargoes,  leave  to  sell, 
391  ;  Prize  ashore  at  New  Ferry, 
232  ;  Prizes  lost,  246,  249,  254,  267, 

3A 


285,  3°9  :  Prize-money,  203,  204, 
205,  251,  323,  324,  377,  414  ;  Rich 
prizes  captured,  216  to  219,  222, 
306  to  308,  310,  314,  315,  334,  342, 
360,  372,  387,  398,  401,  414,  564, 
565  ;  Prizes  captured  by  the  Ameri- 
cans, 182,  190,  192,  193,  196  to  198, 
200,  202,  209,  210,  216,  247,  248, 
252  to  255,  311,  440  to  442,  448  ; 
Prize  cargoes  captured  by  Liverpool 
vessels,  257  to  261,  263,  266,  267, 
269,  272,  276  to  280,  282,  285  to  290, 
292  to  294,  299,  301,  305  to  310,  314, 
316  to  318,  328,  329,  331,  332,  397, 
398,  401,  414,  448,  565.  (See  also 
ships  captured.) 

Profits  of  the  contraband  trade,  468  ;  Of 
slave  trading,  530,  596  to  608 

Property  deal,  Smart,  94 

Provisions,  237,  247,  249,  250,  267  ;  For 
the  slaves,  586 

Protections   from   impressment,   83,   84, 
169 

Prussia  and  privateering,  456 


0 


Quaint   sayings   of  John   Newton,    524, 

525»  527 

Quaker,  A  fighting,  115 
Quakers   and    the  slave  trade,  495,  566 

to  569,  575,  580,  609 
Quamina,  a  noble  negro,  571 
Quarter-bill  for  a  privateer,  3,  4 
Quarter-deck.  To  fortify  the,  12,  13 
Queen    Elizabeth  and  privateering,   32  ; 

and  the  slave  trade,  465,  466 

R 

families  saved  by  Liverpool  ships,  Crew 
of  H.M.S.,  276,  277 

Ranelagh  tea  gardens,  187 

Ranger  privateer,  223 

Ransomers  and  ransom  bills,  17,  32,  152, 
153,  218,  252,  254,  278,  290,  291, 
312,  315,  659,  660,  666 

Rathbone,  William,  assists  Clarkson,  570, 
575  ;  His  noble  character,  579 ;  Death, 
580 

Recaptures,  170,  201,  202,  207,  229,  233, 
236,  244,  246,  251,  252,  255,  256, 
265—267,  280,  282,  284,  287,  291, 
294,  295.  307—31°,  312,  313,  315— 
317,  328,  329,  331,  332,  337,  339, 
340,  342,  343.  347,  348,  359,  362, 
364,  366—368,  374,  381,  384,  392, 
396,  398,  402,  403,  408,  425,  440, 


714 


INDEX  TO  SUBJECTS, 


441,  446,  566,  593 ;  Recapture  of 
the  Mary.  101  — 102 

Reckless  firing  in  the  river  Mersey,  423 

"Red  Noses,"  Sailors  hiding  at  the,  323 

Reflecting  mirrors  invented,  141 

Remarkable  coincidence,  284 

Rendezvous  of  the  press-gang,  319,  320, 
322 

Revenue  cruiser  insulted,  269 

Rice,  224,  247,  308 

Riots,  319,  423,  555  to  560 

Romantic  incidents — Fortunatus  Wright 
and  the  Knights  of  Malta,  69  ;  His- 
tory of  Selim,  the  captive,  7°  to  78  > 
Handsome  "Jack"  Roberts,  631  ; 
Monsieur  Felix  Durand  and  a  "  Lan- 
cashire Witch,"  427  ;  A  female 
"Privateersman,"ii8,  119;  Discovery 
on  board  the  Acttzon,  378 

Roscoe,  William,  133,  568 — 571,  574, 
575)  580,  595,  619,  620  ;  His  vindi- 
cation of  Liverpool  merchants,  595  ; 
His  letter  to  a  slave-captain,  614, 

6l5 

Rudders,  145 

Rum,  100,  121,  129,  217,  218,  229,  487, 

593 

Rushton,  Edward,   the  blind  poet,   297, 

571,  575 

Russia  declares  war,  377  ;  Russian 
vessels  seized,  377 


Sailing  orders,  21,  26  to  30 

Sailor  Girls,  118,  378,  631 

Sailors,  illtreated,  159,  578  ;  Protections 
from  impressment,  83,  84,  169  : 
Runaways  described,  160  ;  Tempted 
into  the  French  service,  167,  425  ; 
Weeping  sailors,  271  ;  Cowardly 
sailors,  Rare  instances  of,  270,  271, 
348,  349  ;  Remarkable  instance  of 
their  courage,  244  ;  Turbulent  sailors 
ashore,  237,  238,  324  ;  Sailors'  riots, 
319,  423,  555  to  560  ;  Sailors  in 
hiding,  320,  324,  560  ;  Wages  of 
sailors,  555,  661,  662,  664  ;  Mortal- 
ity of  sailors,  489,  493,  605,  651,  654 ; 
Character  of  British  sailors  employed 
in  the  slave  trade,  688  ;  Extraor- 
dinary press  for  seamen,  399  ;  British 
sailors  in  the  French  service,  425, 
426  ;  Foreign  sailors  on  British 
ships,  280,  348,  349,  425 ;  Damages 
for  impressing  seamen,  170 

Saints  in  distress,  182 

Sales  of  slaves  by  auction,  301,  306,  591, 
592  ;  By  scramble,  591 


Salt  trade,  187,  556 

Sanguinary  engagements,  201,  202,  206, 
212,  214,  215,  253,  261,  272  to  274, 
337,  338,  35i  to  353,  370,  371,  379, 
563 

School  for  the  blind,  571 
Scientific  seamanship,  136,  143 
Scotch  sailor,  Quaint  letter  of  a,  283 
Sea  power  of  Lngland,  459  to  462 
Seacombe,  323 
Seamen's  Hospital,  213, 
Shackles,  torture  instruments,  etc.,  473, 

515,  532,  533,  546 

Sham  captures,  182 ;  Sham  press-gang, 
424 

Shallop-racer,  a,  144 

Sharks  and  slave-ships,  234,  484,  589, 
658 

Shipbuilders,  83,  143,  145,  185,  322,  354, 
617,  623 

Shipping  idle,  180,  181,  183  ;  Shipping 
lists  suppressed,  155 

Ships  captured  from  the  enemy,  20,  25, 
32,  39,  40,  45  to  48,  57  to  59,  64,  66, 
87  to  91,  96,  100  to  108,  in  to  116, 
121  to  124,  128  to  135,  152,  156,  198 
to  207,  216  to  219,  225  to  259,  263, 
266  to  270,  272,  275  to  280,  282,  285 
to  294,  297.  299,  305  to  310,  313  to 
318,  328  to  332,  338,  342,  354,  355, 
359.  360,  362,  365,  366,  368,  372, 
373,  376,  387  to  390,  397,  398,  401, 
403,  418,  564,  565  ;  Blown  up,  218, 
222,  395,  448,  562,  634;  Burnt,  328, 
332 ;  Capsized,  143,  144,  304,  305  ; 
Sunk,  243,  245,  253.  254,  276,  277, 
304,  305,  404,  472,  637  ;  Ships  of 
the  Stanleys,  32,  33  ;  Ships  and 
tonnage,  620  to  622  ;  Ship  money, 
34  ;  Ship  club,  137,  138  ;  Ship  re- 
captured by  a  steward,  425  ;  Ships 
belonging  to  Liverpool  (1709 — 44), 
38,  39 ;  Rich  ship  lost,  301  ;  Man- 
ning of  British  ships,  280 ;  List  of 
Liverpool  ships  captured  (1739 — 48), 
659  to  661  ;  (1756—63),  665  to  667 

Shipwrights  and  the  press-gang,  322 

Shots  received  by  the  Dick,  289  ;  By 
the  Backhouse,  361  ;  By  the  King 
William,  368 ;  Shots  expended  by 
the  Fanny,  209  ;  By  the  Polly,  373  ; 
Shots  and  philosophy,  145  :  A  slave's 
lucky  shot,  564;  "A  chance  shot 
will  kill  the  devil,"  643 

Sierra  Leone  devastated,  332 

Signalling,  30,  603,  616 

Silks,  58,  250,  310, 

Silver,  237,  334 

Simpson,  David,  his  account  of  Thurot's 
landing  at  Islay,  173  to  175 


INDEX  TO  SUBJECTS. 


715 


Slave-auctions  in  Liverpool,  474  ;  In  the 
West  Indies,  591  ;  In  London,  &c., 
477  to  479 

Slave-captains,  Lists  of  (1752),  675  to 
677  ;  (1798-99),  68 1  to  684  ;  Their 
high-handed  methods,  481,  482 ; 
Social  status,  186,  508,  515;  Privi- 
leges and  emoluments,  471,  486.  487, 
530,  602,  603,  606 ;  Habits,  657  ; 
Artifices,  584  ;  Character,  508.  653, 

'  658  ;  Heartless  trick,  563 ;  Inhu- 
manity, 563,  583  to  592 ;  Heroic 
Guinea  captain,  379,  380  ;  Discipline 
maintained  by  Captain  Newton,  508  ; 
Oldest  slave-captain  in  Liverpool, 
dress  of  the,  543,  544  ;  Strange 
letters  of  slave-captains,  533,  534, 
542 ;  Roscoe's  letter  to  a  slave-captain, 
614  ;  Merchants'  instructions  to  slave- 
captains,  48610  488,  550,  601  10603, 
634,  635  ;  Devout  commanders,  5°9> 
510,636;  Ex-slave-captain  preaching 
to  slave-traders,  517  ;  Captain  cap- 
tured by  the  natives,  533  ;  Captain  of 
the  Edgar,  538  to  541,  576 

Slave-merchants,  their  orders  to  their 
captains,  486  10488,  550,  60 1  10603, 
634,  635  ;  Their  conduct  towards 
Mr.  Clarkson,  577  to  579 ;  Their 
houses  sacked  by  sailors,  557,  558  ; 
Leading  slave-firms,  imports  by,  599 ; 
Lists  of  names,  674  to  677,  679,  681 
to  684 

Slave  trade  and  the  war,  &c.,  20,38,  172, 
179,  181,  183,  184,  188,  284,  287, 
331  ;  Origin  of  the  British  slave  trade, 
465,  466  ;  Slave  trade  thrown  open, 
468  ;  Slave  trade  legislation,  468— 
470,  473,  625  ;  Motions  in  parliament, 
609,  611  to  613,  616  to  621  ;  Slave 
trading  and  rioting,  560  ;  John  New- 
ton on  the  evils  and  calamities  of  the 
slave  trade,  515,  519  to  524  ;  Slave 
trade  abolished,  620  ;  The  last  spurt, 
618,  620,  621,  651,  654  ;  Slave 
trading  under  foreign  flags,  625  ; 
Better  regulation  of  the  trade,  562 ; 
Magnitude  of  the  trade,  522  to  524  ; 
Shipping  employed  in  the  slave  trade, 

494,  495,  555,  566,  599,  608,  614, 
618,  619,  620  ;    Emoluments  of  the 
traffic,    570,    594   to   608 ;  Compen- 
sation, 619,  625 

(See  also  Liverpool  slave  trade,  &c.) 
SLAVE  '  SHIPS  -.—Abigail,     363,     364  ; 
Achilles,  491  ;  Africa,  366  ;  African, 

495,  509,  530  ;  Amelia  and  Eleanor, 
369  ;  Ann,    348  ;  Anne,    631,    632  ; 
Ann  Galley,  79,  80  ;  Backhouse,  361 ; 
Bee,  516  ;  Beaver,  368  ;  Betsey  493  ; 


Betty,  489  ;  Blanchani,  362  ;  Bloom, 
605  ;  Blossom,  257  ;  Bolton,  616  ; 
Brooks,  560,  561,  585  ;  586 ;  Bud, 
344,  367  ;  Carter,  481  ;  Ceres,  638  ; 
Charlotte,  494 ;  Clayton,  479  ; 
Clemison,  332  ;  Dalrimple,  533  ; 
Derby,  555  ;  Diana,  245,  338,  637  ; 
Dick,  379  ;  Duke  of  Argyle,  495, 
506  ;  Echo,  313  ;  Edgar,  536—541  ; 
Eliza,  316,  362,  364  ;  Elizabeth, 
361  ;  Ellis,  347,  348 ;  Enterprise, 
60 1,  603,  607  ;  Essex,  285  ;  Fancy, 
300  ;  Fanny,  480  ;  Fortune,  472, 
604 ;  Francis,  494 ;  George,  367  ; 
Glory,  493  ;  Greenwood,  246  ;  Greg- 
son,  330,  563,  628,  629  ;  Gudgeon, 
360  ;  Harlequin,  342 — 344  ;  Hazard, 
313.  491  ;  Hector,  491,  492  637  ; 
Henry,  372  ;  Hereford,  252  ;  Hinde, 
360,  365  ;  Hope,  235  ;  Ingram,  159  ; 
Isabella,  360  ;  Industry,  493  ;  Juno, 
237,  252;  James,  334,  362,  632; 
Jane,  563  ;  John,  549  ;  Joshua,  614  ; 
King  George,  481  ;  King  Grey,  312  ; 
King  William,  368  ;  Kitty,  332, 
333  ;  Kitty's  Amelia,  649 — 655  ; 
Knight,  484,  494  ;  Little  Ben,  234, 
235 ;  Little  Joe,  313  ;  Liverpool, 
294 ;  Lord  Stanley,  637  ;  Lottery, 
592,  599,  600,  607  ;  Louisa,  605  ; 
Lovely  Lass,  362  ;  Mac,  493  ;  Mar- 
garet and  Eliza,  387  ;  Maria,  366  ; 
Marquis  of  Granby,  486  ;  Mars, 
279  ;  Mary,  368,  639,  641  t  >  649  ; 
Mary  Borough,  531  ;  Mercury,  313  ; 
Mersey,  366  ;  Minerva,  313,  314  ; 
Molly,  233,  234,  360,  491  ;  Mossley 
Hill,  294  ;  Nancy.  234,  257,  480, 
549  ;  Nelly,  566  ;  Ogden,  472,  482, 
484  ;  Othello,  331,  "565,  566,  631, 
634;  Otter,  368;  Par-r,  617,  634; 
Penelope,  482 ;  Perfect,  492 ;  Phcenix\ 
481  ;  Pilgrim,  347  ;  Polly,  373,  374; 
Prise  ilia,  481;  Prosperity,  313; 
Providence,  252 ;  Rainbow,  488  ; 
danger,  338,  339;  Robert,  416,  417; 
Rose,  235,  564,  565  ;  Rover,  299  ; 
Kumbold,  294  ;  Sally,  332,  346,  564 ; 
Seacombe,  287  ;  Spencer,  492  ;  Spy, 
235,  294,  494  ;  St.  Anne,  347,  348  ; 
Stag,  294;  Swift,  312;  Tarleton, 
316,  349  ;  Thomas,  350  to  354,  592, 
593  ;  Three  Sisters,  479  ;  Tom,  252 ; 
True  Briton,  560  ;  Union,  313  ; 
Vine,  529,  ;  Will,  634 — 636  ;  Young 
Dick,  363  ;  Zong,  567,  568 
Slave-ships,  captured  from  the  enemy, 
90  229,  237,  307,  313,  314,  317, 
564  ;  Captured  by  the  enemy,  176, 
200,  201,  245.  252,  294,  299,  300, 


716 


INDEX  TO  SUBJECTS. 


472,  480,  489,  491,  493  ;  Destroyed 
by  the  French  on  the  coast  of  Africa, 
332,  333,  482,  483 ;  Cut  off  and 
plundered  by  natives  and  pirates, 

479,  481,  549;  Saluting  the  port  with 
loaded   cannon,   213  ;  Slave-ships  in 
action,  484,  491,  493,  560,  561,  563 
to  565,  629,  632,  635,  636,  642,  643 ; 
Slave-ships   overset   and   sunk,    144, 
490 ;    Wrecked,   372,   566  ;    On  fire, 
565,  652,  653  ;    Blown  up,  362,  484, 
494,    631,    634 ;     Slave-ships,    how 
manned,   509  ;    Dimensions  of,   171, 
472,  479,   585,   586  ;    Scramble  sale 
on  board  a  slave-ship,  591  ;   Sanitary 
condition  of  slave-ships,  586  to  588  ; 
Captain  Parrey's  report  to  parliament 
on     slave-ships,     585  ;      Regulation 
of    slave-ships,    470,    562,   611,    617, 
618  ;  Loading  the  proceeds  of  a  slave 
cargo,  487  ;  Extract  from  the  log  of  a 
slave-ship,  686,  687  ;    Launch  of  a 
slave-ship,   184  ;    Cost  of  outfit  and 
cargoes,  600.  603,  604,  605,  607 

Slaves,  Orders  to  select,  486  ;  Method  of 
procuring,  582  '  o  584  ;  Of  stowing, 
585  to  587  ;  A  bill  of  lading  for 
slaves,  531  ;  Branding  slaves,  531, 
532,  584;  Slaves  di  owned,  372; 
Slaves  tortured,  532,  589  ;  Thrown 
overboard  alive,  568  ;  Scarcity  of 
slaves,  494,  535  ;  Mutinous  slaves, 

480,  489,  492,   511,  512,  549,  560, 
592,    593 :     Starving    themselves    to 
death,  533,  589;  Jumping  overboaid, 
568;  Dreaming  of  home,  "dancing" 
in  chains,  588  ;    Walking  the  plank, 
589,      590  ;        Shipwrecked       slaves 
massacred,     590 ;      Slaves     fighting 
against    the    enemy,    349,    373,    484, 
560,  561,  564,  565  ;  Songs  of  sorrow, 
588  ;   Orgie  of  slaves  on  the  middle 
passage,   593  ;    Preparing  the   slaves 
for  market,   591  ;    Method  of  selling 
them,   591,   592  ;    Slaves   advertised 
for  sale,  474  to  479  ;   Account  sales 
of  slaves,  530 ;  Collars  and  padlocks 
for  slaves,  477  ;   A  runaway  Prescot 
slave,  554 ;  Prime  cost  of  slaves,  539, 
547,   548,   551,   597,  680;    Price  of 
slaves,  201,  246,  480,  481,  494,  529, 
547,  548,  550,  55i,  564,  597,  606  to 
608 ;     Number   of   slaves   imported, 
494,    523>    596,    599,    618    to    621  ; 
Slave   cargoes,   257,  294,   300,   307, 
312  to  314,  317,  472,  491,  493,  529 

to  53 i,  549,  55°.  56°,  56o>  58°,  59° 
to  592,  596  to  608  ;  Value  of  slaves 
imported,  596  to  608  ;  Duty  on 
slaves,  530,  550,  601,  603  ;  Feeding 


the  slaves,  588 ;  Their  food,  586 
689,  690 ;  Deck-house  for  slaves,  634 ; 
Dead  and  living  chained  together, 

587 

Slavery  in  England,  553  ;  In  the  West 
Indies,  523,  625,  658  ;  Boswell  on 
slavery,  609 

Small  adventures  in  negroes,  598 
Smart  recaptures,  191,  202  to  205 
Society  of  Friends  (see  Quakers) 
Solent,  Naval  display  in,  461 
Somerset,  The  negro,  553,  554,  567 
South  Sea  House,  466 
Spanish  Armada,  34  ;  Guarda  Costa,  36, 
37,  468  ;  War  with  Spain,  37,   180  ; 
Spanish  losses,  297  ;    Cruelty,   472  ; 
Spanish  pirates,  336  ;  Spanish  treasure 
ships  captured,   258,  259,  263,  398, 
401,    485  ;    Spanish  privateers,    355, 
363,    398  ;    Spain   and   privateering, 
455,  456  ;  Spanish  usage  of  prisoners, 
372 

Stage  coach  stopped  by  press-gang,  326 
St.    Domingo,    246,  307 ;  St.    Domingo 
House  and  Estate,  92  to  94,  310,  311 
St.  Edward's  College,  94 
St.  George  privateer,  50,  54  to  59,  66 
St.  George's  Coffee-house,  249,  250 
Stinkpots,  160,  352,  564 
Stonehouse    on   privateering  and    slave 

trading,  184  to  189,  204,  324,  325 
Stout  defence  of  the  Spit/ire,  255 
Strange  dreams  and  fancies  of  John  New- 
ton, 497,  504,  511,  514,  519 
Streets  of  Liverpool,  187,  188,  281,  323 
Sugar,  39,  89,  92,  96,   100,  103,   121  to 
123,  128,  129,  216,  218,  224,  232  to 
238,  243,  244,  246  to  253,  285,  286, 
293,  3°5  to  307,  318,  342,  398,  487 
Surgeons,  31,   109,  no,  330,  353,  486, 
487,  493,    530,  561,  602,   605,  606, 
651,    654,    66 1  ;    First    operation  in 
conservative  surgery,  165  ;   Speculum 
arts  in  the  slave  trade,    533  ;    Oph- 
thalmia, 571 

Swallow,  Letter  of  Marque,  Copy  of  the, 
670  to  673  ;  Cruise  of  the  Swallow, 
356 


Tactics  of  privateer  commanders,   14 

Talbot  Inn,  554 

Tea,  138,  139,  250 

Ten  years  of  prosperity,  303 

Terrible  accident,  315  ;  Butchery,  537  ; 

Catastrophes,    143,    144  ;    Mutiny  of 

slaves,  592 
Terror-struck  merchants,  558 


INDEX  TO  SUBJECTS. 


717 


Terror  of  England  privateer,  295,  296 

Teutonic,  The,  461 

Thanksgiving  for  a  prosperous  African 
voyage,  515 

Theatre  Royal,  Benefit  at,  325  ;  Tillotson 
on  swearing,  147 

Tim  Mainstay  and  Tom  Bowline,  325,  326 

Tobacco,  123,  152,  171,  202,  203,  216 
to  219,  224,  227,  232,  237,  238,  239, 
247,  248,  249,  253,  254,  266,  272, 
277,  285,  289,  292 

Tobacco  ships  captured,  202,  203,  206 

Tokee,  551,  553 

Tonnage,  38,  39,  301,  303,  433,  620  to 
622,  678 

Torturing  and  flogging  the  slaves,  532, 
533.  587  to  589 

Tower  Gaol  in  Water-street,  33,  34,  162 
to  166,  173,  427,  555 

Trade,  flourishing  in  war  time,  37,  38, 
154  ;  Trade  of  France,  Blow  to,  154; 
'  Trade  of  Liverpool  (1739-48),  37,  38 ; 
(in  1752),  472  ;  (in  1756-63),  86,  87  ; 
(in  1760),  172  ;  (1763-75),  179,  181, 
184  ;  (1783-93),  303  ;  (1793  to  1815), 
304  ;  (1812),  433  ;  Trade  of  Liver- 
pool protected  by  its  armed  vessels, 
215,216;  Decline  during  the  wars 
with  America,  181,  301,  302,  433  ; 
Effect  of  Abolition  on  trade  of  Liver- 
pool, 620,  621  ;  Effect  of  the  Orders 
in  Council  (1807),  On,  407  ;  Trade  of 
Liverpool  in  1897,  622 ;  Curious  trade 
regulations  at  Whydah,  550  to  553  ; 
Trading  goods  sold  to  the  natives, 

539,  540 

Treacherous  artifices,  582  to  584 ;  Treach- 
ery encouraged  by  Government,  202, 
203 

Treasure  Trove,  324,  334 

Treaties  and  slavery,  470  ;  Treaty  of 
Paris,  455  ;  Of  Utrecht,  470 

Trial  of  traitors,  425,  426 

True-Blooded  Yankee  Privateer,  Remark- 
able success  of  the,  442 

Turkey  Company,  42,  46  to  48  ;  Turks 
captured,  89,  112,  113 

Tuscan  Government  and  British  ships, 
50,  5i,  54 


u 


Underwriters,  117,  230,  338,  377,  378, 

385.  386,  393,  398,  4io,  4",  436, 

438,  440,  449,  567,  568,  626,  628, 
632,  638,  649,  650 

Unhappiness  in  Liverpool  families,  573, 

574 
United  States  navy,  431,  432 


United  States  Congress   and   Letters  of 

Marque,  459 
United  States  and   privateering,    190  to 

'93»  198,   199,  201,  213,  215,   312, 

455  to  461 

United  States,  Relations  with  the,  430 
Unworthy  inducements,  202,  203 
Utrecht,  Treaty  of,  470 

V 

Value  of  goods  exported  to  Africa,  597 
Value  of  prizes  captured,  45,  48,  57,  58, 
59,64,87,  89,    104,    106,    in,   112, 
156,   199,   216,   219,   222,   226,   227, 
228,  231,   234,   235,   237,  239,   240, 
247,  258,   259,    2(53,   266,   285,   287, 
289,  290,  294,  304  to  308,  310,  314, 
360,   372,  387  393,    398,  414,    564  ; 
Value  of  slaves  imported,  596  to  608 
Vendue  store,  Curious  scene  in  a,  648 
Vengeance  man-of-war,  157  to  159 
Verses,  33,   65,  66,  120,  226,  261,  275, 
276,  297,  298,  299,  613,  618,  646,  658 
Volunteers,  141,  172,  173,  189,  236,  237, 

256,  327,  388,  389,  617 
Volunteer  gunboat,  365 

w 

Wages  of  seamen,  555,  661,  662,  664 

War  with  Spain,  37,  180  ;  With  France, 
50,  86,  i So,  303  104  29  ;  With  Hol- 
land, 180,  290;  With  America,  179 
to  302,  430  to  454  ;  War  subscription, 
147  ;  War  prices,  236  ;  War  and 
ruin,  250 ;  War  and  scarcity,  303  ; 
Cost  of  the  great  war,  304  ;  War  and 
commerce,  62,  179,  207,  216,  301, 
315,  316,  429  to  432,  555  ;  War 
stores  captured,  88  ;  Gains  and  losses 
in  the  second  war  with  America,  431, 
432 

Warehouses  of  Liverpool,  622 

Watch  trade,  38 

Welsh  privateers,  115,  116,  206  ;  Welsh 
mate's  ruse,  396 

West  India  fleets,  173,  250,  287,  293, 
366  ;  West  India  trade,  172,  179, 
180,  216,  467  to  472  ;  West  India- 
men  captured  by  the  Americans,  182, 
198 

West  Indies,  327,  618,  619,  620,  625,  658 

Whales,  287 

Wheat  captured,  59,  in,  280 

White  slaves,  478,  499,  500,  519,  628, 
629,  649 

Wig,  A  megatherium,  543,  544 


718 


INDEX  TO  SUBJECTS. 


Williamson's  Liverpool  Memorandum 
Book,  37,  472,  473 

IVinchdsea  man-of-war,  affray  with  the 
Upton,  85 

Windsor  Castle  Packet,  Remarkable 
defence  of  the,  410,  411 

Wine,  130,  217,  225,  227,  229,  235  to 
237,  249 

Women  linguists  on  slave-ships,  18  ; 
Women  sailors  and  soldiers,  118, 
IJ9>  377,  378,  631;  Women  in 
action,  206,  375,  376  ;  Women 
guillotined,  629 

Woodside-house,  140  ;  Ferry,  324 

Wreckers,  Welsh,  130  ;  Cheshire,  232, 
233  ;  Irish,  266 

Wrecks,  235,  236,  300,  301,  317,  480, 
491,  494,  590,  632,  634,  637 

WRIGHT,  CAPTAIN  FORTUNATUS,  an 
ideal  commander,  40  ;  Smollett's  tri- 
bute to  his  memory,  the  St.  George 
privateer,  41  ;  Action  with  French 
xebeck,  42  ;  Professor  Laughton's 
criticism  of  Smollett's  statement, 
Wright's  early  lifej  family,  connec- 
tion with  John  Evelyn,  Smithers' 
account  of  Wright  and  his  father, 
43  ;  Wright's  adventure  at  Lucca,  44 ; 
Residence  in  Italy,  he  takes  com- 
mand of  the  Fame  privateer,  captures 
many  French  ships,  connection  with 
Capt.  W.  Hutchinson,  45  ;  Wright 
ignores  King  George's  pass  and 
captures  the  Prince  of  Campo 
Florida's  baggage  &c. ,  remonstrance 
of  the  English  Consul  at  Leghorn, 
the  dispute  referred  to  the  naval 
commander-in-chief,  prize  released, 
46  ;  Captures  Turkish  property 
under  French  colours,  complaint  by 
the  Ottoman  Porte,  Wright  ordered 
to  disgorge  the  prize  money  by  the 
British  Government,  his  refusal  and 
imprisonment  in  the  fortress  of  Leg- 
horn, 47  ;  His  release,  a  tedious 
law-suit,  he  states  his  case  to  Consul 
Goldsworthy,  the  "Grand  Signior," 
48  ;  Prizes  taken  by  the  Fame,  Wright's 
partnership  with  Hutchinson  in 
fitting  out  the  Leostoff,  49  ;  Out- 
break of  the  Seven  Years'  War, 
Wright  fits  out  the  St.  George  priva- 
teer at  Leghorn,  he  hoodwinks  the 
Tuscan  authorities,  sails  out  of 
Leghorn,  50 ;  Great  rewards  and 
honours  offered  for  his  capture  by 
the  French  King  and  the  merchants 
of  Marseilles,  51  ;  Sanguinary  en- 
gagement between  Wright  and  the 
French  xebeck  sent  to  take  him,  52  ; 


Wright  victorious,  presentation  by 
the  English  Factory  at  Leghorn,  a 
price  set  on  his  head,  53  ;  Wright 
arrested  by  the  Tuscan  authorities, 
Italian  partiality  for  the  French,  54  ; 
Wright  charged  with  violating  the 
neutrality  of  Leghorn,  international 
dispute,  55  ;  Sir  Edward  Hawke 
sends  two  men-of-war  to  deliver 
Wright,  55  ;  Carried  off  in  triumph, 
56 ;  Action  with  French  men-of- 
war,  more  French  prizes  taken,  puts 
into  Malta,  57  ;  British  captains  in- 
sulted and  ill-used  by  the  Maltese 
authorities,  57  ;  Wright  refuses  to 
deliver  up  British  sailors,  compelled 
by  the  galley  royal,  58  ;  Puts  to  sea 
and  plays  with  a  French  privateer, 
captures  more  prizes,  French  King 
and  merchants  fit  out  ships  to  take 
Wright,  59  ;  Engagement  with  the 
Hirondelle,  he  is  sequestered  in  port, 
60 ;  Horace  Mann  on  Wright  and 
the  Leghorn  trade,  61  ;  Wright 
warned  not  to  enter  Leghorn,  action 
with  the  French,  Wright  and  his 
prizes,  Horace  Mann  on  sea  captains 
and  French  privateers,  62  ;  mys- 
terious fate  of  Captain  Wright, 
foundering  of  the  King  George,  63  ; 
conflicting  news  of  Wright,  Liverpool 
Privateers  in  the  Mediterranean, 
rich  prizes,  64  ;  Joy  in  Liverpool 
at  the  reported  safety  of  Capt. 
Wright,  curious  verses,  65  ;  His  fate 
still  a  mystery,  66 ;  His  name  a 
terror  to  the  French,  English  pres- 
tige in  the  Mediterranean  lowered, 
67  ;  Admiral  Osborne  sails  for  Malta 
to  demand  satisfaction  for  Maltese 
cruelty  to  VV right,  68  ;  Characteristic 
story  of  Wright,  action  off  Malta, 
French  Knights  and  the  victorious 
flag  of  England,  69  ;  Romantic  his- 
tory of  Selim  and  Zaida,  70 — 78  ;  A 
bloody  conflict,  Wright's  generosity, 
77  ;  Connection  with  Ilulchinson, 
&c.,  136,  139,  140 


Vorke  on  slavery,  553 

Young  ladies  offered  for  sale,  474 


Zaida  and  her  lover,  70  to  78 
Zebra,  A  prize,  259 


LIVERPOOL  EDWARD  HOWELL  CHURCH  STREET 


DA  Williams,  Gomer 
690        History  of the  Liverpool 

L8W55  privateers  and  letters  of 

1 397  marque 


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